Elite High eye at back-to-back JOVOC Open titles

MBARARA - Excitement is building ahead of this year’s edition of the St Joseph’s Vocational School Basketball Open (JOVOC Open), set to take place this Saturday, March 8, at the hosting school’s courts in Mbarara.

Defending boys’ and girls’ champions, Elite High School Entebbe, were the latest to confirm their participation before the event’s registration deadline on Sunday evening.

Ajak Akech Wuoi, head coach of the Entebbe-based giants—who have also been strong contenders for the national USSSA boys’ and girls’ basketball titles—believes his team is ready to make a statement ahead of the national competitions.

“I can say we are ready to showcase the talent of what we have this year, starting with the JOVOC championship, even when we are being greatly affected by the USSSA transfers.

Many of our student players have transferred to different schools on scholarships, but it is a great chance for the remaining young ones to showcase their might, starting with the JOVOC Open, so we can evaluate how ready they are for the upcoming USSSA district qualifiers. We are coming for our titles in Mbarara,” Akech said.

Elite came close to winning the national boys’ title in 2023 in Mbarara but fell in the finals to eventual champions Buddo SS. Since then, they have won several tournaments, including the Wakiso District Schools Championship and last year’s JOVOC Open.

The tournament, which attracts both boys’ and girls’ basketball teams from across the country, serves as an early preparation platform for secondary schools gearing up for the Uganda Secondary Schools Sports Association (USSSA) competitions.

Elite will now face off against top schools, including Seeta High, Seeta Main, Maryland, Bethel Covenant, Nyakasura School, Masaka SS, Mary Hill High School, Anderea Kahwa, Ntare School, Mbarara High, Ibanda SS, and Nakivale SS, among others.

Tournament organiser Alex Byamukama says everything is set for the competition, with the number of registered boys’ and girls’ teams promising a high-quality contest.

JOVOC Open is a national basketball tournament for both boys’ and girls’ secondary school teams, organised by St Joseph’s Vocational School Mbarara. Its main objective is to develop basketball talent at the grassroots level and give schools from western Uganda an opportunity to compete against top basketball teams, particularly from central Uganda.