Pool winners dedicate their wins to parents

The winners of the 2023 Nile Special National Open Pool Championship have dedicated their wins to their parents.

Ceaser Chandiga who won in the men's category said he owes his win to his mother in Arua.

“I am going to rest and celebrate the win with my mother. For a long time, she has been there for me when we had nothing and I credit her for all the support that I can now play pool and win big,” Chandiga said after receiving a Toyota Mark X that Nile Breweries staked for the men's winner.

On the other hand, Rukia Naiga also dedicated her win to her father Amin Kisubi who walked from Busega to come and support them in the tournament. She entered as seed number two and her sister Rasheeda Mutesi as seed one.

“In the beginning, it was not easy. But later, our father accepted us to play pool and we won," said Naiga.

Kisubi told the press that he was shocked when his daughters opted to play pool, but he gave them lee way and they mastered the game.

“I didn’t ever imagine they could reach this far. I was shocked at first but I encouraged them to play,” said Kisubi, a motor vehicle mechanic at Ndeba.

The tournament attracted 120 male qualifiers from 52 districts who were joined by eight seeded players for the main draw and a women's draw of 32 players that included four seeded players and the defending champion Rita Nimusiima.

In addition to winning cars, the main winners Ceaser Chandiga and Rukia Naiga each walked away with a cash prize of sh5m and sh3m respectively.

The first and second runners up for the men each bagged sh4m and sh3m respectively as the fourth winner got sh2m.

The losers at the round of 16 players each also walked away with a cash prize of sh500,000/= while those eliminated at the quarterfinal bagged sh1m.  

In the women, the runner-up bagged sh2m, while the third and fourth each got sh1m and sh750,000/= respectively.