Naiga rules Blackball, Mutesi grabs Silver in Ahmedabad

Uganda’s cue sport stars delivered a masterclass on the international stage as Rukia Naiga and Rashida Mutesi bagged gold and silver medals at the 2026 Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad, India.

Rising above a world-class field, Naiga claimed the prestigious women’s Blackball crown after outlasting South Africa’s Prudence Nkosi 5-3 in a thrilling, all-African final at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.

Meanwhile, Mutesi secured silver in the women’s Heyball category following a brave, hard-earned final clash against Great Britain’s legendary cueist Kelly Fisher. Together, the two Ugandan athletes earned podium finishes across both women’s disciplines, providing their nation with a memorable campaign and showcasing Uganda’s rising presence on the global felt.

Naiga’s gold-medal triumph capped an impressive tournament run that culminated in her victory over Nkosi, while Australia’s Kolbe Poole and Great Britain’s Emma Cunningham shared the bronze medals in the women’s Blackball category.

Rashidah Mutesi (L) on the podium

Mutesi’s path to silver was equally compelling, marked by a strong campaign through the multi-discipline competition before finishing as runner-up to Fisher, with South Africa’s Marina Jacobs and Great Britain’s Mary Talbot taking bronze in the Heyball discipline.

Running from October 7 to 10, the four-day showpiece brought together 144 elite players representing more than 40 nations. Organised by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) under the auspices of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) and Commonwealth Sport, the championships gathered leading cueists from across the globe.

While Naiga and Mutesi gave Uganda a successful finish, host nation India dominated the overall medal standings, topping the table with 13 medals, including three gold, five silver, and five bronze.

India’s Aditya Snehal Mehta captured the men’s Snooker title after defeating compatriot Dhvaj Haria, while Rayaan Razmi claimed gold in men’s English Billiards ahead of bronze-medallist Michael Pearson. In the women’s English Billiards, India’s Anupama Ramachandran took gold over silver-medallist Revanna Umadevi.

African talent made its mark across other events as well, with Rwanda’s Frederic Ngaboyisonga and Namibia’s Curtis Izaaks earning bronze-medal finishes in the men’s Blackball category.

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