From Kampala to the world: what Uganda teaches us about nurturing pool talent

In Kenya, a young man who is brilliant at pool is usually told to stop wasting his time. In Uganda, he might be a national champion with a sponsor, a following and an invitation to play in Europe.

Uganda took the game seriously

Uganda has an organised pool scene, with the Pool Association of Uganda, national leagues and opens, and corporate sponsors behind the biggest events. The best players are household names and the top tournaments pay out in millions of shillings, with cars on offer at the national open.

Take Ceaser Chandiga, one of the best players in Uganda. He has won major Ugandan titles including the national open, took home Shs 2 million for winning the Dice Lounge Crème de la Crème in 2025, was selected to represent Uganda at the Heyball Masters in China, and was invited to the Ultimate Pool Pro Series in the United Kingdom, where each event winner takes home £10,000. That is a living, and a career, built on the same game our young people play in iron-sheet sheds.

“The talent is the same on both sides of the border. The difference is the pathway.”

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

We see it at every tournament. Players like Country Boy, Regan, Fredy, Tungu and Jacob, who taught themselves on village tables, read the table like professionals and play with nerve under pressure. You can look at their records on our standings. Most of them have never been coached, never played on a tournament-standard table and never left Kajiado to compete.

Talent without a pathway wastes away. With one, it can change a life, and a family.

What talent nurturing looks like

• Regular, well-run tournaments, so players compete often and improve against the best around them.
• Published brackets, rankings and player profiles, so a scout or sponsor can see who is winning.
• Coaching, good tables and equipment, in a space built for the game.
• Backing for the best players to travel to regional and national tournaments, and one day across the border.
• Mentors who help young players handle money, discipline and the pressure of competing.

Moran Pool Club is building that pathway one step at a time. Every tournament adds to the record. Every profile on this site is a young player who now has proof of what they can do.

A home for the game

The missing piece is a home: a youth space with proper tables where players can train every day, away from the bars, with coaching and mentors on hand. That is how Uganda's champions were made, and it is how Kenya's will be too.