The crowd held its breath. The room was silent, save for the quiet hum of anticipation from the fans of Sharon Oyenyboth, the defending champion from Hotel Africana. She enjoyed a partisan support compared to Mogo Loans’ Maria Namatovu.
The two players stood locked in a duel of precision, patience, and nerves. It was the final frame of the Corporate Sports Network ( CSN) championship match on Sunday, June 8, at Hotel Africana.
On one side of the table stood Namatovu, calm and composed, chalking her cue with slow, deliberate movements. She had fought her way through the brutal bracket, defeating her opponent from Case Hospital. To make it to the finals, Oyenyboth defeated her opponent from Roofings Limited. The final, contested on a best of five, however, saw Namatovu defeat the defending CSN pool champion, much to the glee of her fans and the neutrals, who warmed to a new champion.
In the men’s category, Case Hospital’s Patrick Ssali, who carried the favourite’s tag, owing to the way he easily dismissed opponents, won gold. He defeated his opponent from Uganda Revenue Authority by 3-0 in the best of five sets. En route to the finals, Ssali defeated a counterpart from Harris by 2-0. In the third place was Hariss International, which defeated UBOS by 2-0
It was Ssali’s game that brought the loudest cheers. When he scored the final ball, the crowd erupted. Ssali, ever the sportsman, stepped forward with a grin and extended his hand. His opponent accepted, his face finally breaking into a relieved smile.
It was over. A flawless finish to a game defined by finesse, strategy, and nerves of steel. The champion raised his cue in quiet triumph.
