Centenary Bank emerged as the overall champions of the 2026 Corporate Sports Network (CSN) Pool Championship, sweeping the men’s and women’s competition to finish top of the standings at Hotel Africana on Sunday, October 11.
Centenary Bank accumulated 14 points to claim the overall title, ahead of Equity Bank, who finished second with 12 points, while Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL) settled for third place with 11 points.
The triumph was a blow to the pre-tournament confidence of Hotel Africana and Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Uganda, whose managers had tipped their teams for glory.
Ahead of the competition, Hotel Africana manager James Baker had backed his players to deliver medals in both categories, citing months of preparation and tactical readiness.
“We have done enough practice this year. Our players, both men and women, are tactically switched on to ignore the noise. I am confident of bagging medals in both the men’s and women’s games. Just be there on Sunday to watch the magic unfold,” Baker told the CSN website.
DTB Uganda manager Charles Kivumbi was equally confident, buoyed by his team’s pool table gold at the 2026 Annual Bankers’ Sports Gala indoor games at Lugogo Indoor Stadium.
“In the men’s category, I am sure of gold. For the women, I will not say much, but they too can spring a surprise. Just be there at Hotel Africana to watch us pull off our magic,” Kivumbi said.
Equity Bank finished second overall in the Pool category (credits: Michael Kakumirizi)
However, the tables turned when the competition got underway, with Centenary Bank emerging as the biggest winners of the day.
In the women’s category, Movit defeated Equity Bank 3-1 to take the title, while Centenary Bank beat Hotel Africana 2-1 in the third-place playoff.
Hotel Africana had a brighter outing in the men’s competition, sweeping QCIL 3-0 to advance its title ambitions. The hosts later secured third place by defeating Equity Bank in the playoff.
A QCIL player is congratulated after a win:
DTB, meanwhile, suffered an early setback when Hotel Africana eliminated the bankers in the second round, ending their hopes of translating their Bankers’ Sports Gala success into another pool title.
For Kivumbi, the early exit was a disappointing twist in a tournament where he had confidently predicted men’s gold.
Centenary Bank’s overall victory underlined the depth of its challenge across the two categories, as the bank walked away with the bragging rights in the 2026 CSN Pool Championship.
