As Kho Kho spread across the country, the sport held its first ever organised tournament in 2024, in Soroti District. Sixteen secondary schools took part, among them Dakabela SS and Cornerstone SS, and the matches were played at Soroti Grounds.

Girls' teams in a Kho Kho match at the Soroti tournament, one side in pink and one in yellow and green

Cornerstone SS emerged victorious, winning a double. One of the matches shown in the tournament photographs saw the Cornerstone girls face Dakabela SS, and the winners celebrated with the trophy at night.

Cornerstone SS players hold up the trophy and medals at night to celebrate

Photographs in the strategic plan also show the trophies and medals prepared for a Kho Kho schools tournament in Soroti, and a schools competition in progress.

Trophies and medals for a Kho Kho schools tournament in Soroti Pupils line up around the court during a Kho Kho schools competition in Soroti

Why schools matter

Schools are one of the surest ways to grow a sport. The strategic plan calls for an annual Kho Kho competitions calendar for schools and other education institutions, boys' and girls' teams in each institution, and an annual schools tournament in each region. The Soroti tournament is the first step on that road. It also sits in a longer story, told in the genesis of Kho Kho in Uganda.