Glasgow, Scotland: Uganda’s women’s 3×3 basketball team, The Gazelles, continued their dream debut at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after winning four of their five group matches for a spot in the playoff round and move within one victory of the semifinals.
Competing in the expanded 12-team tournament for the first time, the Gazelles exceeded expectations by finishing second in their pool behind defending champions Australia, securing a place in Tuesday’s playoff, where victory will earn them a semifinal berth.
The Ugandan side announced its arrival on the Commonwealth stage with an impressive opening day, winning all three of its Friday fixtures to immediately establish itself among the tournament’s surprise contenders.
The Gazelles edged Jamaica 18-17 in a dramatic overtime encounter before cruising to a commanding 21-7 victory over the Cayman Islands. They capped off a memorable day by dismantling regional rivals Kenya 21-5 in a one-sided East African derby.
Following the victory, forward Jane Asinde revealed that Uganda had drawn extra motivation from pre-match comments made by the Kenyan team.
She said the Gazelles were determined to respond on the court after their opponents had been “chirping” before the encounter.
Uganda maintained its unbeaten run on Sunday with another dominant display, defeating Fiji 21-8 through disciplined defending and clinical shooting.
However, the Gazelles’ perfect campaign came to an end in their final group match after suffering a 21-9 defeat to tournament favourites Australia.
The result denied Uganda automatic qualification to the semifinals, reserved for the group winners, but ensured the Gazelles remained firmly in medal contention through the playoff route.
Uganda will now face the third-placed team from Pool B on Tuesday, July 28, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Despite the defeat, the Gazelles have emerged as one of the biggest stories of the tournament, proving they are capable of competing with the world’s top teams in their Commonwealth Games debut.
She Cranes continue winning start
Meanwhile, Uganda’s national netball team, the She Cranes, also maintained their impressive start to the Games with a comprehensive 80-34 victory over Trinidad and Tobago at the Hydro Arena on Sunday.
Uganda dominated throughout the contest, taking the opening quarter 19-10 before extending the advantage to 40-19 at halftime after a commanding second quarter.
The She Cranes continued to control proceedings after the break, leading 56-30 at the end of the third quarter before producing an outstanding 24-4 final quarter to seal a convincing victory.
Goal shooter Mary Cholhok led the scoring with 32 goals, while Haniisha Mohameed, Alice Isoto, Racheal Nanyonga and Shadiah Nassanga each added eight goals.
The victory followed Uganda’s 59-50 opening win over Wales, where the She Cranes recovered from a halftime deficit to secure victory.
With two wins from two matches, Uganda remains firmly on course for the knockout stage and faces Jamaica in its next fixture.
Para-archery breakthrough
Elsewhere, Uganda celebrated another milestone after Asiimwe Precious won the country’s first-ever gold medal in para-archery at the 2026 African Archery Championships.
Competing in his first international event, Precious defeated an opponent from Algeria 1-0 to secure the historic title, marking another significant achievement for Ugandan sport on the continental stage.
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