Lira Town College has officially launched preparations to host the 2026 USSSA National Boys Football Championship following the first preparatory meeting held on Monday, 9th February 2026. The meeting brought together officials from USSSA Lango Zone, the administration of Lira Town College, and the Lira City Sports Office, marking the beginning of what is expected to be one of the biggest school sports events on the national calendar.
Scheduled to take place from 10th to 20th May 2026, the championship is a national tournament that attracts secondary schools from all regions of the country. Participation in the national meet follows a competitive qualification structure that begins at zonal level, progresses through district and regional championships, and culminates in the national finals. Each region is allocated a different number of slots depending on its performance in the previous national championship.
Last year, Bukedea District hosted the Girls’ National Championship, while Ngora District staged the Boys’ edition. This year, the spotlight shifts to Lira City, with Lira Town College entrusted to host the boys’ championship on behalf of the Lango sub-region.
Addressing the meeting, Lira Town College Headteacher, Mr. Levi Abongo, emphasized the regional significance of the tournament, calling for collective responsibility in its organization.
“The coming tournament is for the whole of Lango, not only Lira Town College. This calls for a combined effort to see it through,” Abongo said.
Speaking on behalf of the USSSA Lango Zone Chairperson, Mr. Geoffrey Alot underscored the importance of teamwork and broad stakeholder involvement. He noted that successful hosting would require coordinated efforts from security agencies, the media, marketers, the business community, and the general public.
The meeting was also attended by USSSA Lira City Chairperson, Mr. Geoffrey Odur, and Lira City Sports Officer, Mr. Daniel Fred Ogole, both of whom expressed confidence in the city’s readiness to host the prestigious championship.
“Lira City is ready to host the tournament. We hosted the zonal championship last year and now we have experience in handling such events. Once more, we are ready,” Odur affirmed.
Offering further reassurance, USSSA Northern Region Coordinator, Madam Miriam Makeba, called on stakeholders not to be alarmed by the current state of facilities, noting that Lira already meets the required hosting standards.
“We have all the facilities needed by USSSA to host the event. We need just simple improvements on these establishments,” she said.
City Sports Officer Daniel Fred Ogole revealed that the City Education Office will formally engage schools whose playgrounds will be used during the championship to ensure early preparation and smooth handover to the Local Organising Committee.
“The City Education Office will write to the other schools whose fields will be used during the tournament asking them to prepare the fields early enough before handing them over to the Local Organising Committee,” Ogole stated.
He further disclosed that the championship will serve a strategic purpose beyond football.
“The City Council Sports Department plans to apply to host the National Primary Schools Athletics 2026. They are going to use this tournament as a pilot study,” he added.
Ogole concluded with a strong commitment from city authorities, pledging full support toward the event’s success.
“The City Council pledges total support towards the success of this event financially, physically and spiritually.”
Also in attendance was Mr. Babu Umar, the LC1 Chairperson of Lira Town College Cell, Bazaar Ward, highlighting grassroots and community involvement in the preparations.
After the meeting, participants conducted an inspection of key facilities at Lira Town College, including dormitories, classrooms, sanitary facilities, water points, service areas, the sick bay, and the kitchen, among others.
With early preparations underway and strong institutional backing, Lira Town College and Lira City appear firmly positioned to deliver a well-organized and memorable 2026 USSSA National Boys Football Championship, putting Lango on the national school sports map once again.
