Breaking Barriers, Building Champions:
What We Witnessed in Soroti
At the 2026 National Disability Sports Gala, athletes with disabilities came together not only to compete, but to build the skills, confidence and experience needed for the bigger stages ahead.
Last Saturday, the Soroti Sports Grounds became a meeting place for determination, talent and possibility.
Athletes with disabilities from across Uganda came together for the 2026 National Disability Sports Gala, held under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Building Champions.” The eight-day event was organized by the Uganda Paralympic Committee (UPC) in partnership with the National Council of Sports (NCS). More than 500 para-athletes from 26 districts took part.
For Kaliiti Disabled Women’s Network, being there was an opportunity to witness something much bigger than a sporting competition.
More than a game
Across the Soroti Sports Grounds, athletes competed in a wide range of disciplines — from Para Athletics and Para Powerlifting to Goalball, Para Volleyball, Para Judo, Para Dance Sport, Para Swimming, Para Archery and more. The official programme included a broad range of individual and team sports.
And we saw something that matters just as much as the results on the scoreboard: people with disabilities being given a platform to demonstrate what they can do.
Building towards bigger stages
For many of the athletes, the journey does not end in Soroti.
National competitions such as this provide an important opportunity for athletes to compete, develop their abilities and be identified for higher levels of competition.
The road ahead includes major continental and international opportunities — including the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, where thousands of athletes from around the world are expected to compete across 23 Para sports.
The journey to that stage does not happen overnight.
It is built through training.
Through competition.
Through classification.
Through coaching and support.
And through opportunities to prove what an athlete can do.
That is why events such as the National Disability Sports Gala matter.
A celebration of ability
At Soroti, we witnessed athletes taking part in sports such as Goalball, where athletes with visual impairments compete using a ball fitted with bells; Para Judo; Para Powerlifting; Para Volleyball; Para Dance Sport; and Para Athletics events including disciplines such as javelin.
Each discipline brought its own form of skill, concentration and determination.
Together, they challenged one of the assumptions that still affects many people with disabilities: that disability limits what a person can achieve.
It does not.
What can make the difference is whether a person has access to opportunity, training, equipment, encouragement and a community that believes in their ability.
Why inclusion matters
Sport creates more than winners.
It creates confidence.
It creates friendships and community.
It creates visibility.
It can open pathways to education, employment, representation and international competition.
And perhaps most importantly, it changes how society sees disability.
When an athlete steps onto the field, onto the court, onto the mat or into competition, they are not simply participating.
They are demonstrating ability.
They are challenging barriers.
They are showing what becomes possible when opportunity meets determination.
Kaliiti believes in opportunity
As an organization working to empower women and embrace ability, Kaliiti believes that inclusion should go beyond words.
People with disabilities deserve opportunities to participate, to develop their talents, to be seen and to pursue their ambitions.
Our visit to Soroti reminded us that there is tremendous talent among people with disabilities in Uganda.
What that talent needs is opportunity.
Sometimes, the first step towards changing a life is simply giving someone the chance to show what they can do.
Breaking barriers. Building champions. Creating opportunity.
Kaliiti Disabled Women’s Network
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