Uganda’s security forces will converge in Gulu City from August 22 to September 5, 2026, for the 18th Inter-Forces Games and Shooting Championship, with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) set to host the competition.
The games, organised under the theme “Building Synergy through Sports,” will bring together teams from the UPDF, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service and Uganda Wildlife Authority, competing in both men’s and women’s events.
According to a joint briefing issued by the security forces on August 17, the annual competition is intended to strengthen fitness and discipline among security personnel while improving operational readiness.
The games will also provide a platform for the participating agencies to deepen inter-agency cooperation and camaraderie, promote civil-military relations, identify sporting talent within the security services and promote the health and wellbeing of personnel.
Competitions will include women’s netball, men’s football, men’s volleyball, men’s handball, athletics for both women and men, taekwondo for women and men, darts for both categories, and range shooting.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for August 24 at St Joseph’s College Layibi in Gulu City, while the closing ceremony will be held at the same venue on September 4.
The UPDF’s hosting of the 18th edition follows the 17th Inter-Forces Games, which were hosted by the Uganda Police Force in November 2023 as part of the rotating arrangement among the participating security agencies.
The UPDF, together with the Police, Prisons Service and Wildlife Authority, has invited members of the public to attend and support the games.
The event is expected to bring together security personnel in a competition that combines sporting excellence with efforts to strengthen cooperation and institutional cohesion among Uganda’s security agencies.
