Hockey: Kakungulu dominates school finals at SMACK Open
St Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) on March 22, 2025, played host to the fiercely contested tournament, where Kakungulu asserted dominance in the school finals and Rockets edged out Weatherhead in a tense men’s final.
SMACK Hockey Open top scorer Brian Okodi being awarded by UHA general secretary Stanley Tamale. (Courtesy)
Charles Lwanga
Journalist @New Vision
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SMACK Hockey Open
Boys: Kakungulu 1 v SMACK 0
Girls: Kakungulu 1 v Kasasa Girls 0
Men: Weatherhead 0 v Rockets 0 (5-4)
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As Uganda’s only Olympic team sport, hockey continues to thrive at the school level, with the SMACK Hockey Open serving as a key platform for young talent.
St Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) on March 22, 2025, played host to the fiercely contested tournament, where Kakungulu asserted dominance in the school finals and Rockets edged out Weatherhead in a tense men’s final.
Despite Weatherhead Hockey Club falling short in the final, forward Brian Okodi remained upbeat, attributing his growth to hard work and the unwavering belief of his teammates.
Okodi, who recently transitioned from defence to attack, expressed confidence in his development as a forward. He credited his teammates, Moses Tushabe and Arnold Kasumba, for recognising his potential and encouraging him to take on the new role.
“My teammates trusting me upfront really gave me confidence. They pushed me a lot because I initially wanted to play defence, but they saw I had the potential to be a striker,” Okodi noted.
In the final, Weatherhead and Rockets played to a goalless draw, which led to a penalty shootout. Rockets emerged victorious with a 5-4 win after Weatherhead’s Sam Mwesigwa missed a crucial penalty. Rockets’ disciplined defence effectively contained Weatherhead’s attacking threats, denying them any clear chances to score in regular time.
The tournament awarded trophies and medals to the top two teams in each category after registering participation from seven schools.
Notable individual accolades included Wycliffe Tebyasa from SMACK as the most valuable player in the boys’ category, Annet Atim as the MVP among the ladies, Brian Okodi as the men's top scorer, Joel Kayiwa from Nalya SS as the top scorer in the boys’ category, and Shafick Byamukama, who scored four goals for Kakungulu, as the outstanding performer.
Weatherhead Gazelles won the women's category after playing a round-robin format with the girls' teams.
The competition reinforced the ongoing efforts to develop hockey at the school level, strengthening its position as Uganda’s only team sport to have ever represented the country at the Olympics.