Darts stars battle for World Cup slots in regional showdowns

Sarah Makanga, the two-time World Darts Federation Africa Cup champion (2023, 2024), has secured an automatic spot to represent Uganda at the upcoming World Cup in South Korea, thanks to her top ranking.

The Bank of Uganda star will be joined by three more women and four men, who will emerge from this weekend’s national ranking trials across Uganda.

The regional qualifiers kick off on Saturday and Sunday in Lira (Northern), Jinja (Eastern), Mbarara (Western), and Nebbi (West Nile). The top performers will then advance to the final national team selection on April 12 in Gulu, where they will compete alongside the best from the Central region, which held its rankings last month.

A Fair Shot for All
David Tabaro, Secretary of the Uganda Darts Association (UDA), emphasized the new selection format, designed to ensure merit-based representation. "We want to make the national team selection as competitive as possible to field the strongest squad for international events," he said.

Final Squad Composition

World Cup (September, South Korea): 4 men, 4 women, and 2 youth players (1 male, 1 female).

East Africa Championship (June, Tanzania): 6 men and 4 women.

Kampala’s Contenders Await Regional Challengers
The Central region’s top players, including Ronald Kalete, Gloria Omwonyi, and other seasoned contenders, will face off against the regional qualifiers in Gulu for the final national team slots.

This revamped selection process aims to uncover hidden talent and give every darts player in Uganda a fair chance to compete on the global stage. With Makanga already leading the charge, the battle for the remaining spots promises fierce competition.