The opening of Billiard activities in Uganda has started with the PAU Grand open championship.

The Pool Association of Uganda in conjunction with Adam Olivander partners to return the pool activities from lockdown with what is named as the PAU grand opening championship, which is the first Pool championship from PAU since last year in march.

This weekend 19th – 21st March 2021 marks the return of competitive pool to the table. Pool enthusiast
Adams Olivander has provided partial sponsorship for the first Calendar event- The Grand Open which will
be executed scientifically in the “new normal, with no fans expected”

By this time, 90 of the elite players had confirmed participation, with the total number expected at 100 men
and 32 ladies. The stars are coming from as far as Masaka, Mbarara, FortPortal, Gulu, Kitgum, Jinja with
majority coming from Kampala. The top ranked men are all onboard. Legendary shooter Victoria
Namuyanja’s participation is in huge doubt for personal reasons.

The Tournament at Pot It bar-Najjanankumbi will be a 3-day event. Half of the men and ladies will play the
first 3 rounds on Friday 19th, with the other half doing the same on Saturday 20th. The 16 surviving men and
8 ladies from Friday and Saturday will return on Sunday 21st to shoot towards the final.

The event is very significant for the revival of the sport from the Covid-19 lockdown. The return of
competition gives the Association better bargaining power for corporate sponsorship. It is also a breath of
fresh air for players who look up to their shooting ability as a livelihood.

This championship is too significant on both the players and the Association to revive the pool sport which has been off scene since last year in march due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The return of the sport and its competitions gives the Association bargaining powers of getting sponsorships and also give players chance to regain their shooting abilities.

Note: Entry to the event is only for players, officials and media, due to Covid-19 protocol. We will however
provide opportunity for fans to watch the action online.

Writes ; SIMONPETER KYOBE.