- FEASSA President Justus Mugisha has officially opened the 2026 regional school games in Morogoro.
- He says this year’s competition has attracted the highest participation in the Games’ history.
- Mugisha urged officials and participating countries to prioritise fair play, safety and athlete welfare.
FEASSA President Justus Mugisha has officially opened the 2026 Federation of East African Secondary School Sports Associations (FEASSA) Games in Morogoro, Tanzania, urging participating countries to uphold fair play, discipline and athlete welfare.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Mugisha welcomed athletes, officials and organisers to Tanzania and commended the host country for its preparations and hospitality.
He described the 2026 Games as historic, noting that FEASSA has recorded its highest-ever participation across the Under-19 Secondary Games, Under-15 Primary Games and Special Needs Education (SNE) Games categories.
“This growth is a clear sign of the popularity of FEASSA Games across East Africa,” Mugisha said.
New disciplines introduced
The Games have also expanded their sporting programme, with new disciplines introduced at secondary, primary and SNE levels.
Secondary schools will compete in baseball, softball, lacrosse, cricket, cross country, beach volleyball and beach soccer, while primary schools will feature basketball, handball and cross country.
SNE athletes will compete in showdown, sitting volleyball and hi-soccer.
Mugisha said the expansion is intended to provide more opportunities for learners across the region to showcase their sporting talent.
He further revealed that FEASSA will award three overall trophies, with one going to the country that collects the highest number of gold medals in each of the Secondary, Primary and SNE categories.
Mugisha calls for safe, fair Games
The FEASSA president also called on technical officials and organisers to ensure competitions run according to schedule while maintaining high standards of safety and fairness.
He said technical commissions would handle first-instance disciplinary cases, with serious or unresolved matters referred to the Disciplinary Committee chaired by Vice President Technical Gekonyo Kariuki of Kenya.
Mugisha also highlighted FEASSA’s growing international recognition, noting that he and Secretary General David Ngugi of Kenya have been elected to the Executive Committee of the International School Sport Federation (ISF).
He said the development was recognition of FEASSA’s progress but also placed greater responsibility on the regional body to maintain high standards.
“Our children have trained hard to be here. They deserve Games that are well organised, on time, safe, and fair,” Mugisha said.
The 2026 FEASSA Games bring together young athletes from across East Africa for competition in multiple sporting disciplines, with the championships running in Morogoro until August 23.
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