Following productive meetings by League Club Leaders and the Pool Association of Uganda (PAU) Executive Committee, the men’s national pool league is set to return.
Action will get underway on August 4, 2024, with the women league commencing a week later on August 11, 2024.
The highly anticipated return comes after a one-year hiatus due to a disagreement between the governing body (PAU) and clubs.
While an end-of-year tournament filled the gap in competition in 2023, fans are eager to see the return of a full league season.
League details
This year’s league will be a welcome sight for both players and fans with 16 men’s and eight women’s teams battling it out for national glory.
The league expected to conclude early next year will witness a significant financial incentive, a total prize pool of Shs16m for the men’s league.
The champions will take home a Shs6m, while the remaining Shs10m will be distributed amongst the top five performing teams.
For women, a Shs10m prize pool sum is up for grabs, with Shs4m awarded to the winning team. Importantly, all participating clubs will receive Shs3m as facilitation funds to honour fixtures.
Gender equality
In a bid towards gender equality, the league will require all women teams to field five starters, mirroring the men’s format instead of the three that were proposed by some members.
This decision reflects the growing focus on women’s sports and aims to provide a more balanced platform for competition.
Also to note, to enhance fan engagement with sponsors Nile Breweries, league games will now commence at 5 pm instead of the previous 3 pm kick-off time.
This adjustment allows for greater participation with settled minds and will definitely see more fans grace the events since its after the normal working hours.
Deadlines
Teams have until July 26, 2024 to confirm their participation in the National League.
To ensure a smooth start, the competitions committee will inspect all league venues by August 2, 2024 to guarantee they meet minimum requirements.
Additionally, all player contracts must be submitted by the same deadline (August 2) without failure or will be rejected.
Key dates
• Men’s League kick-off: August 4, 2024
• Ladies League kick-off: August 11, 2024
• League registration deadline: July 26, 2024
• Submission of player contracts: August 2, 2024
Courtesy Photos
