The Uganda Secondary School Sports Association has unveiled wide ranging reforms to secondary school sport, introducing revised age categories, transfer regulations with financial charges, weekend leagues, and additional sports disciplines as it begins implementing the National Sports Act 2023.
The changes were announced Wednesday during a press briefing at the association’s headquarters at GNS Plaza in Kampala by USSSA president Justus Mugisha.
Under the new structure, the Under 16 category has been replaced with Under 17, while Under 14 has been scrapped in favour of Under 15. Mugisha said the adjustments align school competitions with official secondary school age brackets under the law. “We have made these institutional changes to accommodate all learners in secondary schools, in line with the National Sports Act,” he explained.
USSSA will now operate three age categories. Under 20 will cover athletes aged 16 to 20. Under 17 will include players aged 15 to 17. Under 15 will cater for those aged 13 to 15. Mugisha said the revised structure ensures no secondary school age group is excluded from competitive sport.
New transfer regulations have also been introduced, with financial charges attached. According to Mugisha, the fees will help strengthen administrative operations while protecting both schools and student athletes. “The introduced transfer fees will help the Association run its administrative work. If you are requesting a transfer, it means you truly need that player. We are trying to protect both the players and the schools that nurture them,” he said.
USSSA has further rolled out weekend leagues to boost talent development. Matches will be played on Saturdays and Sundays at zonal and district level, mainly involving neighbouring schools to keep transport costs manageable. “Children can only improve their talents when they are on the field,” Mugisha noted. “These leagues will cater for age categories from Under 15 to Under 18, and the referees involved must be properly trained through capacity building.” The initiative, previously piloted in Nansana for three years, is now set for nationwide implementation.
The association also confirmed new sports disciplines that will appear as demonstration events at the 2026 Ball Games II Championship in Gulu. These include cricket, baseball and softball, golf, kabaddi, kho kho, and pickleball, with participation open to both boys and girls.
