Hamz Stadium Nakivubo war memorial grounds (Test matches):
Football:
- Kitara 0-3 Uganda Revenue Authority
- Sports Club Villa 1-0 Express
Boxing:
- Isaac Zebra Junior beat Abas Sseguya (After 10 rounds)
Kickboxing:
- Umar “The Pain” Semata Vs Moses “Of Uganda” Golola (Draw – after 4 rounds)
Business proprietor Hajji Hamis “Ham” Kiggundu was left an excited party following the successful grand opening of the rebranded Hamz Stadium Nakivubo war memorial grounds on 1st June 2024.
Kiggundu is the developer of the historic war memorial grounds that are situated right in the heart of Uganda’s busy capital city, Kampala.
It was a complete extravaganza of sorts as different activities ranging from music entertainment, comedy and sports (football, basketball, netball, boxing and kick-boxing) were served raw to the fans.
Right from the morning, the weather was friendly with the sunny conditions throughout the day as fans from all sorts of life accessed the stadium.
“I thank everyone, It was such a successful and wonderful grand opening. The stadium is now ready to host sports activities. For God and my country” Kiggundu, the founder and CEO of Ham Group of Companies sighed.
Kiggundu is a successful businessman who authored a publication; “Success & Failure based on reason and reality: Reason as the world masterpiece”.
Right from the word go, there was entertainment from an assortment of music stars as the fans and special invited guests applauded.
In some of the games played; Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) smiled 3-0 past Kitara during the early kick off.
Joseph Ssemujju and Ivan Ahimbisibwe were on target for the tax collectors who fetched Ug.Shs 10,00,000 for this win as Kitara took Ug.Shs 5,000,000.
Newly crowned Uganda Premier League champions Sports Club Villa overcame rivals Express 1-0 with Andrew Otim heading home the solitary strike in the second half.
The Jogoos earned Ug.Shs 10,000,000 and the Red Eagles were rewarded with Ug.Shs 5,000,000.
The national boxing title bout between Isaac Zebra Junior and Abas Sseguya was won by the former after 10 rounds in the super welter weight.
This was Zebra Junior’s fourth professional victory following victories over Talimo Alibaba (Tanzania) as well as the Egyptian duo of Ibrahim Kandel and Ramy Mahidi.
Zahara Nandawula edged Flavia Babirye in the women contest.
Earlier in the day, there were basketball duels involving KIU Titans, JT Jaguars, Nam Blazers, and UCU Canons. Netball fans also had their share of excitement with matches between KCCA, Weyonje, and National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
The eagerly awaited kickboxing match closed the business way past mid-night with Umar “The Pain” Semata and Moses “Of Uganda” Golola ending in a stalemate.
Fans adored the lovely fireworks that was played in two intervals; at 7 PM and mid-night.
Musicians entertained the charged crowds from start to finish with varying taste of their music choices.
Stars as Eddie Kenzo Musuuza, Bebe Cool, Sheebah Karungi, David Lutalo, Fik Fameica, Rema Namakula, and Alien Skin, among others wooed the crowds.
The flowers:
The entire event management progressed as planned. There were no major incidents as the protocol, rescue and security teams were deployed early, serving diligently throughout.
Stewards guarded the fans right from the entrances as they cooperated with the different security agencies.
The sound system was excellent from the numerous equipment put in place as well as the outstanding stage where the artists performed.
What needs to be further improved:
The access to the stadium will need further rehearsals; especially to direct where the different fans ought to seat and comfortably follow the proceedings from their zones of choice.
A couple of fans complained of the limited parking in this congested part of the city.
The stadium lighting system especially for football needs a little more boost.
For the media, there is need to have a clearly designated media tribune for smooth operation of their respective work tasks.
By and large, it was total excitement as such a mega facility right in the heart of the capital city was re-opened after an enviable rich history that stems from as far back as 1926.
This is surely going to boost the sports sub-sector in Uganda at a time when Uganda needs more sports infrastructure in place.
The Hamz stadium is one of the facilities ear-marked for use as Uganda hosts major local and international sports events.
It remains property of the Government, leased to Kiggundu for a period of 49 years.
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