What you need to know:
Najjuma is a multi-medal winner in various domestic galas for her club Otters and Kampala Junior School. Her success on the local scene has ensured that she has already represented Uganda twice at the Africa Zone III Swimming Championships.
Uganda's rising swimming star Nisha Pearl Najjuma is aptly named.
Pearls, reportedly, symbolize wisdom, purity, love, and resilience. They are also associated with emotional balance, loyalty, and new beginnings
All these are features that can describe the lanky 12 year old swimmer that is taking Ugandan swimming by storm.
Najjuma is a multi-medal winner in various domestic galas for her club Otters and Kampala Junior School. Her success on the local scene has ensured that she has already represented Uganda twice at the Africa Zone III Swimming Championships.
Last year, at the 9th edition held in a short course (25m) pool in Burundi, Najjuma embraced her new beginnings by topping the 12 and Under girls in the 100m and 200m backstroke, bagging silver in the 50m backstroke and bronze in the 200m breaststroke, then finished 4th and 5th in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events respectively.
At the 10th edition held last week in a more challenging long course (50m) pool at Kasarani Aquatic Centre, Nairobi, Najjuma doubler her collection to eight as she waved 'goodbye' to the 12 & Under age group.
Her gold medals came from the 200m (2:50.98), 100m (1:18.65), and 50m (35.07) backstroke events, plus the 200m (3:07.59), 100m (1:26.22) and 50m (39.17) breaststroke events. Najjuma also had silver in the 200m individual medley (2:53.84) and bronze in the 50m butterfly (33.76) - only missing a medal in the 100m freestyle (1:16.41).
Her gold collection ensured she was crowned the best swimmer in her age category with 40 medal points.
"I believe that doubling the medals alone shows I am improving," Najjuma said in the aftermath of the competition.
Najjuma, who trains with her club and coach at Centenary Park, says there are no secrets to her performance but "just consistency in training."
Even in the midst of celebrations as Uganda were crowned champions, Najjuma was already thinking of where to improve. Which for her age is a marvel.
"My freestyle is still off but I am changing my mentality about it. I want to just give my best in every race and not stress about medals," Najjuma said of her struggles in the only stroke she did not medal.
The age group was also more competitive this time as Kenya and Tanzania wanted to win as much as Uganda did but the resilience of this soft-spoken swimmer got her to the top of the group.
"It feels good to beat this sort of competition but there is definitely a lot of work to do.
"At home, the competition is not as stiff, so maybe I am in a bit of a comfort zone. But I have to work harder with such competitions in my mind because I cannot just come here to swim and finish," Najjuma added.
Loyalty and royalty
If she returns to Zone III next year, Najjuma will compete in a tighter 13-14 age group. As she advances, there will be even more summons, from Uganda Aquatics, for bigger competitions.
Fortunately for her, the swimming environment is full of camaraderie and she is already making the most out of it even though she knows she has to bide her time.
"I am inspired by my teammates on the national team. Many of them are able to go that extra mile that I cannot go yet. And I am always open to learning from them.
"I do not want to get ahead of myself in terms of goals and what I want to achieve as a swimmer. I will take it one step at a time, put in the work, and see where that takes me," Najjuma, who adopted the sport from her father and has since developed her own passion for it, said.
One sure next step is that she will be sitting her Primary Leaving Examinations on November 3 and 4. The decision to represent her country in such a demanding Championship, two weeks prior to the examinations is a mark of loyalty and sacrifice for her team.
At a glance
Name: Nisha Pearl Najjuma
Age: 12
School: Kampala Junior School
Class: P.7
Club: Otters
Major events for Uganda: Africa Aquatics Zone III 2024 (Burundi), 2025 (Kenya)
Medals this year:
Gold: All breaststroke and backstroke events (50m,100m, 200m)
Silver: 200m IM
Bronze: 50m fly
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