Four KIU Students Named to Uganda's Squad for 2026 Woodball World Cup

By Isaac Akugizibwe

KIU, Main Campus — Four members of Kampala International University's woodball team, the KIU Spartans, have been named to Uganda's final squad for the 2026 Woodball World Cup scheduled for July 24-30 in Perlis, Malaysia. The tournament will be the 10th World Cup Woodball Championship and will bring together some of the world's top woodball players to compete for international honours.

The Ugandan squad consists of 16 players, with KIU contributing four athletes: Shakira Nagudi, Sanyu Mirembe, Bridge Byamukama and Brian Gwaaka.

“Honestly, it's an absolute honour to represent Uganda at world level,” said Bridge Byamukama, one of the Spartans set to feature for Uganda.

 “I feel great, but most importantly, a big thank you to my teammates,, the Spartans and those that have supported us through this journey,” he added.

According to Annet Kabasindi, Sports Tutor at KIU's Main Campus, the selection of four KIU athletes to the national team reflects the university's growing investment and success in sports development.

"As a university sports tutor, I am very happy with these results. Having four players on the national team out of 16 available slots is a significant achievement for us and demonstrates the progress we are making in our sports department," Kabasindi said.

She noted that KIU initially had eight athletes selected among 29 participants during the first national trials before four ultimately secured places on the final team.

"KIU managed to have eight athletes qualify from the initial trials based on merit, and four eventually made it into the final squad. This achievement is a result of the consistent training the team has undertaken since January," she said.

Kabasindi added that the players' participation at the World Cup will provide valuable international exposure that could benefit the university team in future competitions.

"Our team stands to gain greatly from the experience these players will acquire while representing Uganda. Their exposure at the international level will strengthen the squad as we prepare for upcoming competitions, including the 2026 Eastern Africa University Games in Dodoma," she said.

The KIU Spartans have enjoyed an impressive season, winning the inaugural National Beach Circuit Woodball Championship at Bunjako Beach in February before capturing the first National Universities and Clubs Woodball Championship title in April.

The four players will now join the rest of the national team in preparations for the World Cup as Uganda seeks to make a strong impression on the global stage in Malaysia.