Junior Rugby Sevens Cranes Prepare for Playoffs After Challenging Pool Campaign at Dakar 2026.
Uganda’s Junior Rugby Sevens Cranes faced a challenging opening day at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, taking on France, Argentina and Japan in a highly competitive pool.
Uganda’s Junior Rugby Sevens Cranes faced a challenging opening day at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, taking on France, Argentina and Japan in a highly competitive pool.
Under the guidance of coach Peter “Sky” Ochol, the Ugandan side demonstrated determination and resilience against three of the tournament’s strong contenders.
Uganda opened its campaign against France, suffering a 58-0 defeat before losing 49-0 to Argentina in the second encounter.
The team’s breakthrough moment came in the match against Japan, where Almadi Otema crossed the try line to register Uganda’s first try of the tournament. Captain Shafik Okole successfully added the conversion, giving Uganda seven points.
Japan eventually secured a 41-7 victory, but Uganda’s scoring moment provided an encouraging highlight in a demanding opening-day campaign.
The try demonstrated the team’s ability to create scoring opportunities against strong opposition and offered valuable encouragement as the competition progressed.
Despite the pool-stage results, Uganda remains in contention for a higher finishing position and will now turn its attention to the 5th–8th place playoffs, where it is scheduled to face Germany.
The upcoming fixture presents another opportunity for the Junior Rugby Sevens Cranes to build on their performance against Japan and conclude their Youth Olympic Games campaign with a positive result.
Team Uganda continues to represent the nation with determination at Dakar 2026.
