The highly anticipated USSSA Elite Games 2024 have commenced today, promising intense competition from the get-go. Football, as the most favored sport, is expected to take center stage, featuring powerhouse schools eager to make their mark in the tournament.
Over the next three days, Jinja City will come alive with action across five disciplines: football for both boys and girls, netball, volleyball for both boys and girls, handball for both girls and boys, and basketball in both 3×3 and 5×5 formats.
With all participating teams safely arrived in Jinja and having completed their final preparations, the stage is set for the long-awaited kickoff. The only exception is the boys’ football category, which will follow a round-robin format, determining the winner based on accumulated points from each match.
Teams to keep a close eye on in the boys’ category include defending champions Standard High School Zzana, determined to secure another title after their triumph in the previous edition in Mbarara City. Westville High School, eager for redemption after their fifth-place finish last year, aims to claim their first national prize.
Notable among the girls’ teams is Kawempe Muslim Secondary School, a proven force with numerous options across all age groups. Despite a quarter-final exit in the Fresh Diary games 2023, Kawempe went on to win prestigious championships in Rwanda and Kenya, securing a spot in the CAF African Schools Championship CECAFA Zone Qualifiers U15.
St Noah Girls Secondary School Zzana, known for their entertaining tik-tak football, will be another school to watch. Despite falling short in the Fresh Diary games 2023, they clinched bronze at the ISF football championship in Morocco, earning recognition as the third-best footballing school globally.
In the absence of St Mary’s Kitende, the previous champion, the competition is wide open, with Standard High School Zzana defending their title. Kawempe Muslim Secondary School holds the record with three trophies out of the four previous editions.
