The Uganda Ice Stock inaugural clinic took place at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda between 22nd and 24th October 2021. It was themed ” IceStock Sports Skills and Techniques For All ” and it had Over 40 participants from various parts of Uganda in attendance, individuals who made history as pioneers of the sport in Uganda.
Instructors from Kenya led by the President of Ice Stock Sports Federation, Africa, as well as the President of Kenya Ice Stock, Tim Ngugi, and Dr. Simon Munayi from the University of Nairobi took the participants through different sessions to make them acquainted with the game.
Ice stock sport (otherwise called Bavarian Curling) is a winter sport, that is somewhat similar to curling. In German, it is known as Eisstockschießen. Competitors slide ice stocks over an ice surface, aiming for a target, or to cover the longest distance. Icestocks have a gliding surface, to which a stick (ca 30 cm) is connected. The sport mostly practiced in southern Germany, Austria and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy has been demonstrated at the Winter Olympic Games on two occasions. Although the sport is traditionally played on an ice surface, events are also held on a tarmac in summer.
Upon registration with the International Federation of IceStock, Uganda will become the 6th African nation to play Ice Stock alongside Kenya, Namibia, Gabon, Tunisia, and Egypt. Although the sport is supposed to be played on Ice, in Africa, it’s played on leveled Tarmac grounds due to the nature of the continent’s weather.
The newly formed Ice Stock Sports Association, Uganda will be headed by the elected 11 members Interim Executive Committee led by the new President Shifah Mujjuzi and patron Ms. Peninnah Kabenge and they are looking at being registered under the Uganda Olympic Committee and National Council of Sports. Uganda is now looking at making a debut in the upcoming IceStock World Championships in Italy in February 2022 and fielding a strong established team in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy where Ice Stock will join the sports played in Olympics.
The participation of students across Uganda in the icesport clinic is proof that it is only a matter of time before African universities begin to participate in Winter games like the Universiade in games like Curling which is similar to Icestock. For many years, African universities have been excluded from University Winter games due to the nature of the games and their weather peculiarities. We are gradually getting to a time when African students can compete against foreign students in games in which they have the advantage.