The September Fortebet Real Stars Sports Monthly Awards have gone down in history with the return of former weightlifter Ali Kavuma, 58, to the spotlight after a brief absence.
Recognized for his contribution to the sports industry, Ali Kavuma was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award as one of the winners of the September 2025 awards. Others included Muzamiru Kakande, who won in boxing, Yasin Nasser in Motor Rally, and Hillary Mukundane, who won in men’s football.
Ali Kavuma is best remembered for representing Uganda at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He last appeared at the international level at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Kavuma’s Olympic Games appearance with fellow Ugandan Joseph Kaddu in 1988 made him the third Athlete to represent Uganda in weightlifting, joining Fred Bunjo and the late John Kyazze.
After retiring from weightlifting in 1999, he started coaching the sport until 2005. During his coaching career, he took over Irene Ajambo and made her the first woman and the first female weightlifter to win a medal in the All Africa Games when she won Bronze in the 2003 Games in Abuja, Nigeria.
He further guided various weightlifters to win medals, especially at the African continent and at international levels, like Moses Kimbowa, and also helped Charles Ssekyaya and Irene Ajambo qualify for the Olympic Games.
Ali Kavuma is currently the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Uganda Weightlifting Federation, after returning from Dubai, where he went in 2005 to seek financial upgrades breaking from sports industry with the help of Rapid Flight Shipping Company.
From Ali Kavuma, Yasin Nasser who made history by becoming the second Ugandan to win the Africa Rally Championship joining the late Charles Muhangi who won it in 1999, was recognized for breaking the 26-year wait. Nasser took the racing award beating Ranald Ssebuguzi and Julius Ssemmambo winning his first Fortebet award this year to end Ponsiano Lwakataka’s dominance.
In boxing, Muzamiru Kakande defeated Sulaiman Ssegawa and Shakur Mugambe for the accolade while in football, Hillary Mukundane defeated his teammate from Vipers SC, Allan Okello and Ibrahim Kasinde of SC Villa.
