Entebbe Open Water Nationals to Serve as Dress Rehearsal for Zone III Championships

Uganda Aquatics is set to utilize the inaugural National Open Water Championships, scheduled for October 10, as a vital preparatory event for the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships. The regional competition will take place in Uganda from October 21 to 25.

The National Open Water Championships will be held at the Entebbe Sailing Club. This venue will also host the open water segment of the Zone III championships on the final day of the regional event. “We will use it, obviously, as a test case,” stated Moses Mwase, president of Uganda Aquatics. He explained that the intention is to identify and resolve any logistical challenges or “teething stuff” that often arise during competitions, similar to how the KISU venue was used for earlier swimming nationals.

Organizers are aiming to attract a significant crowd to the national event, using it to test site arrangements and encourage fan participation. The deadline for entries for the open water nationals is October 4. Uganda Aquatics is actively engaging with lake communities to increase participation, while also prioritizing safety measures, including the installation of a pontoon. “We also want to make sure that we have people who can swim. We don’t want to have incidents,” Mwase added.

The Zone III championships will feature swimming from October 21-24 at KISU, followed by water polo on October 24 and the open water races concluding the event on October 25 in Entebbe. This marks the second time Uganda hosts open water at the zone level, with the previous instance in 2021 held in a swimming pool. The federation aims to reintroduce water polo and open water alongside swimming as part of a broader strategy to include all World Aquatics disciplines in the future, such as diving and artistic swimming.

Open water races at Zone III will include distances of 3km for the U-15 category, 5km for 16+, and 1.5km for Masters (25+), along with a mixed relay. Swimming events will be straight finals, with a limit of two swimmers per country per event, while water polo will follow a round-robin format. The Zone III competition typically involves around 11 countries from the region, with most having confirmed their participation. Special Olympics Uganda has also expressed interest in using the event as a qualifier for the World Games.

Team Uganda is preparing to field a large contingent, aiming to defend their title. “We are the defending champions, so we are trying to do everything it takes so that Uganda gets back on top,” said executive member Erick Kisero. Uganda has a strong record, having won the title in 2015, 2021, 2023, 2024, and the 2025 long course event. Despite some sponsorship support, the financial burden on parents remains a concern, although the federation hopes for further support to alleviate these costs.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/sports/other-sport/entebbe-open-water-nationals-to-test-ground-for-zone-iii-showpiece-5612098