Sports 3 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
UVF's Aporu Views Eligibility Dispute as Chance for Volleyball Improvement
Nemostars face disqualification from the men's National Volleyball League playoffs over eligibility issues with foreign players Salva Marial and Federicko Mujinya, prompting an appeal and calls for better record-keeping. UVF General Secretary George Aporu sees the controversy as an opportunity for the federation to enhance operations ahead of key events. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/other-sport/aporu-eligibility-concerns-a-good-platform-for-uvf-to-do-better-5411894
Uncertainty looms over the men’s National Volleyball League playoffs following eligibility disputes that led to Nemostars’ disqualification from the finals.
Nemostars fielded South Sudanese middle blocker Salva Marial without an International Transfer Certificate (ITC), a mandatory document for non-Ugandan players. The club argues Marial is a student in Uganda and was first registered here, making UVF his origin federation under FIVB rules. Receiver-attacker Federicko Mujinya allegedly played after featuring for Bishop Stuart University last season, with no transfer evidence on Nemostars’ initial roster.
A committee led by Innocent Komakech upheld the disqualification, but Nemostars has appealed, seeking a hearing before any final ruling. Sport-S awaits the finals opponent, potentially Nemostars or Elyon, while both prepare for the CAVB Africa Club Championship in Rwanda from April 20 to May 3.
UVF General Secretary and Nemostars captain George Aporu attributes the issues to poor record-keeping during the transition from the previous regime. ‘The issues raised are arising from transition… lack of information and poor record keeping,’ Aporu stated. He emphasized digitizing records starting next season to prevent future mishaps.
Aporu views the saga as an ‘eye opener’ for improvements across the federation and clubs. In the women’s category, no disputes arose, with KCCA leading Vision Volleyball Camp 1-0 in the best-of-three series.
Volleyball fans hope to avoid a repeat of 2016, when transfer disputes halted the league abruptly.
Source: Daily Monitor