Retired Ugandan referee and FIFA/CAF instructor Catherine Constance Adipo has expressed heartfelt gratitude after receiving the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the ForteBet Real Stars Monthly Sports Awards.
The awards ceremony, held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at Nanjing Restaurant in Kololo, recognized outstanding achievers across various sporting disciplines.
Receiving the Special Recognition Award, Adipo reflected on her pioneering journey in football officiating.
“Refereeing was male-dominated. I wanted to prove women could do better. I thank ForteBet for this recognition. I hope it inspires young girls. We need fitness, performance, and integrity,” Adipo said.
She also used the occasion to appreciate everyone who contributed to her successful career.”It is my gratitude to the organizers, but it is also a good platform for me to appreciate everyone who helped me settle in the game of football,” she added.
A trailblazer in Ugandan football, Adipo is among the country’s pioneering female referees. After initially excelling in volleyball—playing for Kampala Amateur Volleyball Club and captaining Uganda’s national women’s volleyball team in 1982—she switched to football officiating.
Her dedication saw her earn the coveted FIFA referee badge in 1995, making history as one of Uganda’s first female FIFA referees. She later officiated at the 2000 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) and has since served as a CAF and FIFA referees’ instructor, mentoring the next generation of match officials across the continent.
Catherine Cynthia Nagaddya’s Journey
The ceremony also celebrated the remarkable contribution of retired FIFA Assistant Referee Catherine Cynthia Nagaddya, who served Ugandan football with distinction from grassroots to the international stage.
Born on October 2, 1981, in Nyenga Sub-county, Buikwe District, Nagaddya grew up in Mityana before being raised in Entebbe by her aunt, Lucy Antivelink Zziwa.
She attended Mary Reparatrix Bugonga Girls School for her O-Level education, St. Lawrence Citizen’s High School (Creamland Campus) for A-Level, earned a Diploma in Secondary Education from NTC Nkozi, and later obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Social Development.
Alongside her refereeing career, she taught History and Geography at Kalwana Secondary School.Nagaddya qualified as a Grade Three referee in 2007 after emerging as the best official in Kassanda District. Inspired by her former husband, Jamil Kasenge, she began officiating in 2008 before progressing to the Uganda Super League and FUFA Big League in 2011.
That same year, she was nominated for the FIFA list and, after switching from center referee to assistant referee in 2014, earned the prestigious FIFA badge. She served as a FIFA Assistant Referee from 2014 to 2019.
She also served as Personal Assistant to the Chairperson of the Uganda Football Referees Association (UFRA) for two years and continues to contribute to the game as a UFRA delegate
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Among the most challenging matches of her career, Nagaddya cited Maroons vs Express (2018/19) and SC Villa vs Vipers (2017/18).
She thanked the football fraternity, her instructors, family, FUFA, and the media for supporting her journey.
She officially retired from active officiating after the 2019 Airtel Masaza Cup final, where Bulemeezi defeated Busiro 1-0 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.
Other Award Winners
Archery
Precious Allan Assimwe won the Archery accolade after claiming gold at the African Archery Championships in Oran, Algeria. The Kabale-born archer, discovered just two years ago, emotionally dedicated the award to everyone who supported his rapid rise.
Basketball
The Uganda Women’s 3×3 Gazelles—Melissa Akullu, Jane Asinde, Jamila Nansikombi, and Perus Nyamwenge—received the basketball award after making history by winning silver at the Commonwealth Games.
The Gazelles topped Pool A with victories over Kenya, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica before defeating Tonga in the semifinals. They eventually settled for silver after losing to Australia in the final.
Rally
Rally driver Hassan Alwi, together with co-driver Musa Nsubuga, claimed his third ForteBet Real Stars Award of the year following another outstanding performance on the national rally circuit.
Para Sports and Swimming
Husnah Kukundakwe has been named the Fortebet Real Stars Sports Awards winner for July, following her historic silver medal performance in the women’s SB8 100m breaststroke at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Uganda Paralympic Committee Secretary Irene Nabiseke applauded the initiative, saying the monthly awards continue to motivate athletes with disabilities to strive for excellence.
The awards ceremony was attended by Real Stars Sports Agency CEO Isaac Mukasa, ForteBet representative Resty Mbatidde, and officials from Jude Color Solutions, one of the event’s partners.
