Uganda’s Paralympic Swimmer Larry Feni on Tuesday won the Fortebet Real Stars Sports Award for the month of June in the Special Olympics category. The awards ceremony happened at Lazio Bar and Restaurant in Kololo, Kampala.
This comes just a day after Feni was unanimously voted as the Nile Special Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) sports personality of the month of June during their (USPA) monthly assembly held on Monday at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
Feni’s recent recognitions come after he won two gold medals at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany last month. At the Berlin event, Feni put up a good show in the 50m breaststroke and 25m freestyle events, winning gold in both disciplines.
After bagging a Fortebet Real Stars Award, Feni is a very happy man and is grateful for the recognition adding that such recognitions keep him energized ahead of future engagements.
“I am very happy to be one of the winners today, thank you very much for the recognition. I have been swimming for a short period but I’m already winning accolades, it’s something I am happy about,” Femi said.
At the same awards ceremony, Henry Ssenyondo won the cricket category, beating competition from his Cricket Cranes teammate Riazat Ali Shah and Victoria Pearls skipper Consy Aweko. The slow left arm orthodox left Nairobi in the recently concluded inaugural Continent Cup T20 Tournament with four man of the match accolades that guided Uganda all through to the final. Ssenyondo also left the busy East African City as the most wickets gatherer and 18 in his bag.
In the table tennis category, Parvin Nangozi was announced winner and she claimed her second Fortebet Real Stars Award. She won the Korea Friendship Championship in Lugogo after beating compatriot Shanita Namaala 2-0. One league game played, and she boosts a no set loss, with other three games, outside the month of June she stands with the same stats.
UPDF’s Edmond Omonyi beat competition from teammate Umar Isa and Kyengeza’s Namutosi Joyce Patience to take home the award in the Handball category. Omonyi is a goalkeeper and for the month of June, with his club standing second on the league log, he boosts with stats of 51 saves, 3 Assists and 1 Steal.
Moil team of Yasin Nasser/Ali Katumba took home the rally gong, beating competition from Ponsiano Lwakataka/Paul Musaazi and Ibrahim Lubega/ Geoffrey Serwoga. The winning duo have now picked four accolades at the Fortebet Real Stars Awards ceremonies. There recent award comes after they won the Kabalega Rally to take control of the NRC table with 290 points and 57 points ahead of his rival Duncan Mubiru ‘Kikankane.’ In Hoima, Nasser and Katumba, recorded the shortest time of the competitive 113 kilometers in 1 hour, 13 minutes, 02 seconds and 45 micro-seconds.
In motocross, youngster Gift Ssebuguzi, son to Rally ace Ronald Ssebuguzi won the accolade, beating competition from Hellen Birungi and Miguel Katende. Gift, at the recently concluded fifth round of the Mountain Dew National Motorcross championship in Garuga collected maximum points in his category of the CC 85 beating the tough competition of Dan Mitima and Jerome Mubiru.
The Tuesday awards session was graced by Real Stars Sports Agency CEO, Isaac Mukasa, Fortebet’s Resty Mbatidde and Caroline Auma who was representing Hariss International, makers of Riham.
Fortebet’s Mbatidde revealed that going forward, the prize money for the awards is set to increase to UGX 500,000, a sign that the initiative has now grown ahead of its five-year anniversary later this year.
For Mukasa, he prides in the Real Stars project that has grown from a humble start to where it is now. He is very positive that better is yet to come with the awards now becoming the major thing active athletes look forward to every month.
For Auma, she noted that; “Hariss International is proud to be here and we don’t take it for granted. We take pride in talent and this is one of the initiatives we pride in.”
