The Africa Sevens are just 7 days away and preparations in the Ugandan camp that have been going on for over 2 months have hit the pinnacle.

On Friday 8th September, the National team Coach Tolbert Onyango announced a 12 man squad that will be traveling to Zimbabwe to defend the Africa Sevens title and also fight for a spot at the 2024 Olympics in France.

Among those named is Makerere University and Rhinos Captain Shimwa Davis who will be making his debut for the National team.

Shimwa was invited to train with the National team last year but he wasn’t yet ready but through hardwork and consistency, he’s been able to finally make the team.

In an interview, Coach Tolbert revealed that “He’s (Shimwa) been part of the squad for 2 years now, just sharpening his skills, we feel that he’s ready to take on the big boys”

When asked about his expectations from the youngster, he said “we want him to learn from the best in the environment ” he added, “It’s an opportunity for him to put down and cement his place in the squad and also enjoy.”

Pius Ogena who was second on the Top try scorers list after the Tooro 7s will also be part of the squad after being away for a while.

Mubarak Wandera who was also in top form for the Black Pirates during the National Sevens series (scoring 14 tries) will be back in the squad and is expected to bring more agility and skill into the team.

Issac Massa the Captain of the Black Pirates was in the set up in 2022 but suffered a very big setback with an injury that put him out for over a year. He will be making his return to the big stage and a lot is expected from him.

His leadership skills, defensive attributes and ability to create opportunities for others will be some of the things he’s expected to add to the team.

Ian Munyani, William Nkore, Aaron Ofoyrwoth, Philip Wokorach, Adrian Kasito, Denis Etwau, Norbert Okeny and Alex Aturinda all who have been in the squad for a while complete the squad.

Ian Munyani will be Captain while Adrian Kasito and Aaron Ofoyrwoth will be his deputies.

Uganda is in the same pool with Burkina Faso, Algeria and Zimbabwe (whom they played in the finals in 2022). They will be playing their opener in the second game of Day 1 against Algeria.

The winner of the tournament will qualify directly to the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France while the runners up will play more qualification tournaments.