ForteBet Real Stars Honour July’s Finest at Nanjing Hotel Ceremony
ForteBet Real Stars Awards once again celebrated excellence on Monday as outstanding performers from four sporting disciplines were crowned winners for the month of July at a ceremony held at Nanjing Hotel.
Athletes from Swimming, Archery, Basketball, and Rally were recognized for their achievements on both the continental and global stage, while a special award was also presented to a pioneer in Ugandan sports.
Speeches from the Dignitaries
Speaking before the audience, Ms. Irene Nebissenke, Secretary of the Uganda Paralympic Committee, said the awards align with their mandate:
“Our mandate is to develop and promote sports for persons with disabilities. So what you see here, the rewards that you have given us, we are so proud to receive such special awards.”
She paid tribute to para-swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe:
“I am sure most of you have been following her journey. She started swimming at a very young age. But it is not just the medal we are looking at today. We are looking at her journey, how she started, how she came through, and how she has gotten the silver medal right now.”
Nebissenke also spoke about archery gold medalist Precious Allan Assimwe:
“For the gold medalist, Assimwe, we are grateful because we discovered him in Kabale just two years ago. We are really thankful because you have been there. You have trained amidst all challenges and the problems that you have come across. But we shall still join hands with the National Council of Sports because they are our supporters, so that they can support you and Husnah Kukundakwe as well.”
Richard Assimwe, President of the Uganda Archery Association, also thanked the government through NCS and the media:
“We had different athletes compete in Oran, Algeria, but we managed to win gold through Precious Assimwe, who has trained for a period of two years. This shows he can do something extraordinary, and this is just the beginning. Archery is a sport that needs people who are calm, take time, and are precise. Eventually you can achieve what you want.”
Mr. Hamuza, Coordinator of the Gazelles, also addressed the gathering:
“Thank you very much. I really appreciate the recognition for the girls. We are grateful the girls did us proud. Hopefully we can build on this. Our dream is to make it to the Olympics in 2028. Hopefully we can work and walk the journey together.”
The July Winners
SWIMMING
Winner: Husnah Kukundakwe – Silver medalist in the SB8 100m Breaststroke at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The award was received on her behalf by Ms. Irene Nyebiseke, who said:
“I am sure she is going to appreciate this, and she will definitely say something about it. But we are very grateful. Thank you so much, ForteBet Real Stars. Thank you for making our athletes special. And I know one thing about Husnah Kukundakwe: she is the most disciplined athlete I have ever seen. Thank you so much.”
ARCHERY
Winner: Precious Allan Assimwe – Gold medalist at the African Championships in Algeria.
An emotional Assimwe said:
“I am speechless because it is my first time to get such an award. I further thank the Uganda Archery Association for the support they have offered to me and the entire team, picking me from Kabale far away and identifying my talent. It is really a great job. I further thank my coach, Aisha Namukwaya, for spotting me. It is really good to have someone from the west to be on the charts and talked about everywhere. I further thank the government as well for the support, and my teammates for pushing and encouraging me.”
BASKETBALL
Winner: Uganda Women’s 3×3 Gazelles – Melissa Akullu, Jane Asinde, Jamila Nansikombi, and Perus Nyamwenge
The Gazelles made history in Glasgow by winning Uganda’s first-ever women’s 3×3 silver medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
They dominated Pool A with wins over Kenya [21-5], Cayman Islands [27-7], and Jamaica [18-17]. They advanced to the final with a 21-12 semifinal victory over Tonga at the Scottish Event Campus, before falling 21-11 to Australia in the gold medal match.
Speaking after receiving the award, Jane Asinde said:
“Thank you so much for the opportunity to recognize the Gazelles. We had a bumpy and rough journey as we headed into Scotland. Through those games we built, gained courage and confidence, and we had a great opportunity to compete with great players from great countries, the top 10 teams in the world. For Uganda to participate in the Commonwealth Games and come back with a medal, we glorify God.”
RALLY
Winner: Hassan Alwi – This is his third ForteBet Real Stars award this year.
Alwi said:
“It is not really me alone, it is a team effort. And I thank my sponsors.”
His co-driver, Musa Nsubuga, added:
“We appreciate being recognized. It shows that our hard work has paid off. We can claim to be the best in Uganda. We have been having challenges here and there. Most teams appreciate the driver, but with our team it is different. We share the success and the failures as well. Behind the success there are a lot of sacrifices. I further thank our sponsors and families for allowing us into this sport, which is very risky.”
SPECIAL AWARD
Winner: Catherine Constance Adipo
Adipo was the first FIFA female football referee in East and Central Africa when she attained the FIFA badge in 1995. She officiated at the 2000 Africa Women Cup of Nations in South Africa. She is also a CAF and FIFA Referee Instructor and a lecturer in the Sports Department at Kyambogo University.
Madam Adipo said:
“Thank you very much, ForteBet Real Stars Awards and the media. First of all, when I joined refereeing it was basically a male-dominated sport, and you had to be as good as, or even better than, men to be recognized. But maybe I am more than a tomboy, as people say. Being born in a family of only boys, it is not surprising. At school I played football. Then basically I joined refereeing because I am more comfortable being with the male gender than females. So therefore, I wanted to prove a point that even women can, and even do better. It is evident. At the Commonwealth, women did better. And even in refereeing, when I was there I was among the best, and even now, Shamirah Nabadda is among the best. Those who want to join refereeing can come and join. We emphasize fitness, performance, and integrity. I would like to thank ForteBet Real Stars Awards for the recognition, and I am sure it is going to inspire the young ones.”
The July edition of the ForteBet Real Stars Awards once again highlighted the depth of talent in Ugandan sport, from historic achievements on the global stage to breakthroughs at the continental level.