Africa-Press – Uganda. 16 men’s invitational :Final – Race to 13
Caesar Chandiga 13-5 Joseph KasoziThird-place playoffM. Bwanika 7-6 Alfred Gumikiriza
Pool is evolving so fast. Post the strict Covid-19 lockdown, Ibrahim Sejjemba was on song almost sweeping all challengers during money battles.
The wins came so easy. Of course everyone believed his abilities in one-on-one situations as he wore down opponents.
Just as he looked like he had the cue to himself, Habib Ssebuguzi snatched it. Many fans saw it as a fluke. Then came the players’ tournament, a 16-man invitational that barrelled in the best players each with two lives. Sejjemba was good but his two lives were stabbed in the quarterfinals, making him look like a regular player. Turns out he is not perfect after all.
Suddenly, the country’s seed two, teenager Caesar Chandiga, was right in front of our faces. He had earlier delicately tucked Sejjemba to bed.
A place in the final was against seed three Joseph Kasozi, who had on Saturday celebrated his 37th birthday, was the reward. Kasozi had an enviable record, too, having stripped Sejjemba of the second life.Calm and composed amid the excitement from a handful of fans, Chandiga, 19, lived the promise. With the adrenaline coursing through him, he decisively beat Kasozi 13-5.
“I’m happy and hope for a better season,” Chandiga, who is poised for a professional move to Zambia, said.Kasozi met his end as Chandiga emerged the next “Caesar of the table,” managing his cue ball with excellence and potting joyfully.
At 4-2, Chandiga wheeled away and it was a matter of when to seal the victory as Kasozi meekly melted away. Kasozi’s cue ball management abilities came under spotlight as he potted the white twice. Chandiga made potting look easy, as the best pros do.
It was a game of minor errors as they both went pound for pound in a race to 13 that lasted 80 minutes.But Kasozi, the 2018 Christmas Cup champion, squandered several opportunities with poor breaks and missing an easy sink of the black.
“It was a thrilling tournament, I have been practicing and it really showed there. I just didn’t have that aggression level,” a graceful Kasozi said.
“I learnt some lessons from that. It was a tournament that we needed to have and showed us some areas that we certainly need to improve on.”
Upper Volta’s Mansoor Bwanika beating Alfred Gumikiriza 7-6 in a decider during the third-place play-off.The 16-man event paved the way for the Pool Assiciation of Uganda Grand Open Championship that cues off Friday until Sunday at the same venue.
