The 2012 edition of the Club National Beach Volleyball Championship was yet another season thriller with top teams fiercely facing off during the one day encounter at Lido Beach Resort on Sunday. 39 teams battled it out on eight courts. Andrina Namata and Tabitha Mercy lived to their billing retaining the title for the 3rd year running only equal to Nuwagaba Sophie who bagged the title in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The pair stopped promising pair of Hafsa Nakalema/Prossy Alobo in straight sets 21-19, 21-13 to prove skeptics wrong on their evident determination. They had earlier beaten the resilient duo of Sheila Buyungo and Marggie Nambasa at the semifinal stage 21-17, 21-10. The men’s category had some few surprises when the previous two-event finalists met at the quarterfinal stage to deny the other advancement. Defending champions Ambrose Okello and Dickens Otim bowed to an early defeat at the hands of arch rivals Luke Eittit and Emma Kato at the quarter final stage.
The Kato/Eittit pair went ahead to halt the stubborn and quickly promising youthful team of Emmanuel Elanyu / John Mark Okurut in the semifinal 21-15, 21-12 to face Amon Ainebyona with Isaac Omedo in the men’s final that kept spectators on their feet. Kato/Eittit overcame the pressuring Ainebyona/Omedo pair also in a tiebreaker 21-17, 17-21, 16-14 to lift their maiden championship. The Ainebyona’s had earlier at semifinal ended the two Tamale’s dreams in straight sets 21-15, 21-9.
The Nile Breweries Sponsored annual event now in its 10th year was a prime opportunity for national Coach Sam Meya to name his 2012 squad to start preparing for upcoming international events. Uganda Volleyball Federation (UVF) boss Sadik Nasiwu presided over the awards ceremony where the top four teams in each category shared an assorted of cash prizes and trophies.
