Uganda’s rising beach volleyball stars Nancy Chebet and Peace Busingye showcased their grit and growing pedigree as they battled to a bronze medal finish at the CAVB Zone V Beach Volleyball Championship in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The four-day tournament, held from October 22–25, brought together the region’s top talent — and Uganda’s duo left a strong impression with their fighting spirit and composure under pressure.
After opening with a commanding 2–0 (21-13, 22-20) victory over Kenya, the Ugandans were inches away from the final but narrowly fell to hosts Burundi’s Emelyne Igiraneza and Nadia Buntubwimana in a tight 1–2 (16-21, 21-19, 12-15) semifinal.
Instead of folding, Chebet and Busingye regrouped brilliantly in the bronze medal clash. Despite dropping the first set to Tanzania’s Evalyne Albert and Mariam Omary, they stormed back to win 2–1 (16-21, 21-15, 21-01) and secure Uganda’s first medal of the championship.
In the men’s category, Uganda’s Innocent Ayo and Isaac Ogusul showed flashes of promise — bouncing back from an early loss to Burundi to defeat Tanzania and Kenya — but their run ended in the quarterfinals after another narrow loss to the hosts.
The event featured teams from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and Burundi, marking Uganda’s third appearance at the Zone V Championship — and perhaps their most encouraging yet, as the women’s pair announced their arrival among the region’s elite.
