Uganda sends its most inclusive Commonwealth Games delegation yet, with the Bombers carrying the weight of a proud medal tradition, ELLY KYEYUNE writes.
When Uganda’s athletes walk into the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, they will carry more than the national flag. They will carry seven decades of history, the expectations of a nation and the promise of a new era in Ugandan sport.
Uganda’s 53-member delegation will compete in 10 disciplines; para-swimming, para-powerlifting, athletics, basketball 3×3, boxing, judo, netball, swimming, track cycling and weightlifting, at the Games scheduled for July 23 to August 2.
With 35 female and 18 male athletes, including five para- athletes, this is Uganda’s most inclusive Commonwealth Games team yet. It is a fitting development for a Games whose opening statement will itself be one of inclusion.
For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, the first medal of the entire competition will be awarded in a para-sport event — Para Powerlifting. That will be the backdrop against which Team Uganda begins its campaign.
The British High Commission’s “More in Common” campaign has provided a fitting theme for Uganda’s journey to Glasgow, celebrating friendship, resilience and shared values between Uganda and the UK. At a send-off reception, deputy British High Commissioner to Uganda Tiffany Kirlew praised the dedication of the athletes, coaches and families who have made the campaign possible.
“We are very proud to be sending Team Uganda, a delegation of more than 50 athletes to Glasgow for what will be an extraordinary moment in Commonwealth sporting history,” Kirlew said.
Uganda’s Commonwealth journey dates back to 1954. More than seven decades later, the country heads to Glasgow with one of its broadest and most representative teams ever. At the official flag-off ceremony in Kampala, state minister for Sports Peter Ogwang reaffirmed the government’s commitment to rewarding success.
Gold medallists will receive Shs 100m, silver medallists Shs 50m and bronze medallists Shs 30m. Yet, for many Ugandans, the biggest expectations will once again rest on the shoulders of the Bombers.
THE BOMBERS’ BURDEN
Boxing remains Uganda’s most successful sport at major international competitions. Of the 47 medals won by Uganda at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games since 1960, 35 have come through boxing.
The six-member squad has spent two months in residential camp at Nakivubo Stadium under head coach Twaib Mayanja, working on endurance, ring awareness, tactics and technical sharpness. Captain Bate Nuhu, competing in the 65kg welterweight category, leads a squad that combines experience with youthful ambition.
He is joined by Katushabe Angel in the flyweight division, Emily Nakalema in the women’s 65kg welterweight category, heavyweight Aziz Ringo, light heavyweight Alfred Ojok and lightweight Khemis Ibrahim.
Nuhu is expected to lead from the front, while Katushabe and Nakalema represent the growing strength of women’s boxing in Uganda. Ringo and Ojok bring power to the heavier divisions, with Ibrahim completing a balanced team.
The Bombers, however, will not be alone in carrying Uganda’s hopes. The challenge in Glasgow will be formidable. The Commonwealth brings together some of the world’s strongest sporting programmes and elite competitors.
For the Bombers, the mission is particularly clear: preserve a legacy while creating a new chapter. For the wider Team Uganda, the Glasgow Games offer an opportunity to show that the country’s sporting future is becoming broader, more inclusive and more ambitious.