Uganda men’s beach volleyball coach Edward Bwenje has challenged his players to improve after both pairs suffered defeats in their opening matches at the 2026 CAVB Zone V Beach Volleyball Championship at Bunjako Beach.
John Baptist Ogire and Isaac Ogusul, competing as Uganda 2, lost 21-12, 21-18 to South Sudan’s Abraham Chol and Ayuen Mach Mayen before falling 21-9, 21-17 to Kenya 2.
Photo: ChampionSport Reporter
Aziizi Busingye and Luc Florent Kimararungu also lost to Kenya 1 in three sets. After dropping the opening set 21-10, they recovered to win the second 21-18 but lost the decider 15-6.
Bwenje said the men need to improve their performance and learn from the opening defeats as they prepare for their remaining matches.
Photo: ChampionSport Reporter
“We did not start the way we wanted. The players need to improve their concentration, communicate better and avoid simple mistakes in the next matches,” Bwenje said.
He added that the team must work on its weaknesses and show greater consistency to compete better against the other countries.
Photo: ChampionSport Reporter
“We have to look at what went wrong and correct it. The players must stay focused, improve their decisions and fight for every point in the remaining games,” he said.
The results leave Uganda’s men with work to do as they seek to improve on last year’s quarterfinal finish in Burundi.
Ogire and Ogusul are in Pool B alongside South Sudan and Kenya 2, while Busingye and Kimararungu compete in Pool A with Burundi 2 and Kenya 1. Pool C features Kenya 3, Kenya 4 and Burundi.
Bwenje is assisted by Shamim Makongoro.
Uganda’s women have had a better start, with Claire Najjuuko and Purity Nalua Nekesa winning all three of their opening matches against Burundi, South Sudan and Kenya.
The pair began with a 22-20, 21-18 victory over Burundi’s Nadia Buntubwimana and Delly Drice Kaze before beating South Sudan 21-18, 21-15. They then completed their winning run against Kenya with a comeback victory.
Margaret Namyalo and Eunice Amuron, Uganda’s second women’s pair, opened with a 21-9, 21-10 win over Burundi but later lost to Kenya 18-21, 21-19, 6-15. They are expected back on court on Saturday morning for their final group-stage match.
The Entebbe Tour runs from October 22 to 26 along the shores of Lake Victoria, giving Uganda a chance to improve on last year’s performance in Burundi, where the women won bronze and the men reached the quarterfinals.
Source: ChampionSport Reporter
