Touch of Magic
'Quidditch' players coached by Ugandan teacher eye world cup participation
In a clearing surrounded by banana trees, around 135 kilometers from the Ugandan capital Kampala, players run around with sticks between their legs instead of broomsticks.
Quidditch is a fictional sport invented in fantasy book series Harry Potter. It first appeared in the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997). In the series, Quidditch is portrayed as a dangerous but popular sport played by wizards riding flying broomsticks.
The adapted version of Quidditch is officially called quadball, and does not require any magical or flying abilities.
But it has gained a following around the world and it came to Katwadde, deep in rural southern Uganda, in 2013, thanks to John Ssentamu, a primary school teacher who learned about the sport through a book that a co-passenger was carrying in a bus.
"The word 'Quidditch' meant nothing to me, neither in English nor in any other language, so I went on Google," Ssentamu, 47, said.
"I was like hey, it's a game … it's beautiful. I think I could introduce this to my community," he said.
Ssentamu put together a team at Good Shepherd Primary School, where he teaches.
Ten years of hard work paid off in 2023 when Ssentamu's team hosted and won the first national quadball tournament. The East African country now has more than 200 players.
In quadball, players throw balls through hoops. Ssentamu loves the way the sport combines the elements of netball, football, volleyball, and rugby — and its commitment to gender equality, as every team must include both men and women.
However, the team lacks funds for travel, said Ssentamu. Despite the invitations, they have been unable to participate in the quadball world cup held every two years since 2012 in Europe or the Americas.
Thirty-one teams took part in the last World Cup, a three-day event held in Belgium last year.
"My dream is to see a team from here going to the Quidditch World Cup, because it would be a revelation for the whole world," he said.
Still, the sport has boosted the community in Katwadde, attracting schoolchildren in a place where education is not always a priority.
Vicky Edith Nabbanja, Ssentamu's daughter, is one of the "beaters", who can temporarily knock opposing players out of the game with dodgeballs.
"It has brought youth together and opened up their minds" while helping to create "a community of belonging", the 25-year-old said.
