Greenhill Academy Dominates Independence Swimming Gala Through Depth

Greenhill Academy reclaimed the Uganda Aquatics Independence Swimming Gala title this past Saturday, amassing 1,140 points at Seroma Christian High School in Mukono. This victory marks their return to the top after a two-year hiatus, achieved not through individual brilliance, but by the sheer depth of their swimming squad.

While Greenhill celebrated only one individual age-group champion, Nisha Pearl Najjuma, their strategy of fielding swimmers in nearly every race, coupled with top-five finishes in all 16 relays they entered, proved unbeatable. This approach capitalized on the absence of a previous dominant coalition and underscored the importance of collective effort.

Shree Sahajanand School finished a close second with 982.5 points, followed by The North Green School in third with 968.5 points. Shree displayed significant individual talent, boasting two age-group champions and three runners-up. However, a disqualification in a girls’ 13-14 freestyle relay due to unsportsmanlike conduct hindered their overall score.

Individual accolades were spread across various schools and unattached swimmers. Aya Ofleh Adams of Shree Sahajanand was the top-scoring swimmer overall with 74 points in the 10 & Under category, while Isaac Gabriel Isabirye of Kabojja Junior School earned 72 points in the boys’ equivalent. In the 11-12 age group, Mushirah Nabatanzi (Seroma) and Raan Batuk (Hill Preparatory) secured their respective titles through consistent performances.

The 13-14 category saw close contests, with Kristian Bwisho (Shree) clinching his title by a mere half-point. Unattached swimmer Jonathan Kaweesa dominated the 15 & Over senior boys’ category, while Angella Businge from The North Green School took the senior girls’ title. Despite strong individual performances, including Zara Mbanga’s multiple wins and Aga Khan’s sweep of senior girls’ individual races, these swimmers’ inability to compete in all strokes prevented them from challenging for the overall title.

The gala also featured exciting relay events, with Seroma Christian High School performing strongly in the older girls’ and boys’ categories, and Makerere University securing a dramatic win in the boys’ 15 & Over freestyle relay by a hundredth of a second. The event highlighted Greenhill Academy’s strategic depth as the key to their championship success.