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Home News Uganda Christian University sets high goals at University World Cup finals

Uganda Christian University sets high goals at University World Cup finals

26 September 2019

LAUSANNE – The fifth edition of University World Cup – 3×3 is coming up fast, in five weeks’ time and once again, will see the best university teams from all five continents battle it out on the courts of Xiamen, China.

 

The 32 finalists – 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams – are now final and there are five teams from Asian universities in both fields. Two Chinese teams gained automatic qualification as hosts, while most of the others came through continental qualifying tournaments that took place over the last year, as well as some wild cards.

 

The Americas are also represented well; with four teams in the men’s competition including University of Colorado from USA, and three teams in the women’s field led by Mexico’s Technological & Higher Education Institute of Monterrey.

 

Institut Supérieur d’Entrepreneurship et de Gestion (ISEG) of Senegal and Uganda Christian University (UCU) have women’s and men’s teams that have made it to the finals.

 

The UCU women were also part of the inaugural 3×3 tournament that took place in Xiamen back in 2015, and since then have been familiar participants in the tournament. The team featured in the 2018 finals as well, although captain Sarah Ageno (below) is the only returning athlete.

 

“I am looking forward to the University World Cup,” she says to FISU. “The goal I have for my team is to play hard and reach the final, no matter what team we are facing.”

 

The UCU enjoyed a great run at the FASU 3×3 Championship 2019 in April this year, where they were unbeaten through the group stages and beat ISEG in a closely contested final. The script was the same in the men’s and women’s continental qualifier.

 

The men’s team this year is composed of entirely new athletes for whom this will be a first University World Cup experience. That does not mean they don’t set their targets high.

 

“We are looking forward to winning games and reaching the latter stages of the tournament,” says captain David Deng Kongor (left). “Hopefully even win it all.”

 

In fact, he has a tip for all those watching. “Watch out for my teammate Ater Isaiah,” he says when asked about a standout player. “You will get to know him when he shows up in Xiamen.”

 

Ageno is also all praise for her unit which includes Brenda Kayaga, Mayimuna Nabbosa and Rose Paul Akon.

 

“We play well together as a team,” she says. “Love, respect, hard work and intelligence is what describes us as a team.”

 

They will also have their close rivals ISEG of Senegal (below) in the finals with them, the team they beat in the final of the African continental qualifier. It remains to be seen who has the upper hand on the world stage. The University World Cup – 3×3 begins on 31 October in Xiamen, China. All information about previous editions can be found here