2026 Boys teams pin their hopes on the future

March 2026 has been a busy month, especially in the domain of sports. The annual inter-school tournament—which eventually sees winners progressing to the regional level and finally the national level—kicked off at the district level. Within Gulu district, OCJC once again had the opportunity to flex its muscles as it confronted its traditional football and basketball nemeses.

The 2026 boys' football team consisted of 26 players. The team was coached by Mr. Mambo James and captained by Elisa David Hakim (S3). In the captain's opinion, the 2026 squad has thus far been the best football squad Ocer has ever assembled. Their performance in the tournament left many in Gulu standing in awe. Once again, Ocer proved that it has more to offer than academic excellence.

During the tournament, Ocer played three matches in the group stage, humbling Favor of God SS and Rooted Christian SS. Ocer were silenced in the third game against Gulu Army SS. The group stage results propelled Ocer to the quarter-finals, where they faced Bishop Angelo Negri College. Against all odds, Ocer—hitherto considered the underdogs—pushed their highly ranked opponents to a penalty shootout. Ocer was ultimately eliminated but only after pushing Negri College to the limits and proving the doubters wrong.

Commenting on the game against Negri College, which saw Ocer park their mats, captain Elisa David Hakim confessed that it was one of those excellent games where he gave his best, "for I really did my best not for myself but for the love I have for my school." The captain added that Negri College were the favorites, and most—perhaps including some Ocerians—had dubbed the tie a lost cause for the Ocerians, expecting them to be mercilessly crushed. What transpired during the tournament is "a great achievement for the school, and it shows that the team is becoming stronger," the captain added. In concluding his remarks, he said, "We love our school and we shall continue to play hard for it. Come next year, we are coming back a better team, full of courage and confidence. We shall lift the trophy and make history."

The same upbeat tone was echoed by Ogena Caleb (S4, Green), captain of the boys' basketball team, the only team progressing to the regional level.

The captain acknowledged that competition during the tournament was very stiff; but his teammates, working collectively, gave it their all. In anticipation of what the future holds, he concluded, "We can't wait to meet greater heights at the regional level."