Uganda’s Saint Mary’s Kitende have been banned from competing at the 2016 East African Secondary Schools Championships after physically assaulting referee François Ngarambe during the boys’ semi-final football match against Tanzania’s Alliance SS on Saturday.

Kitende, who had won the previous eight consecutive titles since 2007, lost the game 1-0 and, at full time, they roughed up the Rwandan centre referee claiming that he had denied them two clear penalties.

Besides the one-year ban from regional competitions, the 11-time champions Kitende were also handed a fine of US$ 1000, according to FEASSSA president Justus Mughisha.

"Kitende are not eligible for the 15th FEASSSA Games in Kenya next year, we made a decision last night (Saturday) in our technical meeting and agreed that a one-year ban and a fine of US$1000 was the most appropriate reprimand for their action,” Mughisha told Times Sport on Sunday.

The players named in assaulting Ngarambe include; Alfred Leku, Shaban Mohammed, Bashir Mutanda and Bashir Ashraf.

Masaka SS, also from Uganda, won the boys’ football title after edging out Alliance SS 4-3 on penalty shoot-outs following a 2-all draw in regular time. Champions Masaka had also thumped the Tanzanians 5-1 in the preliminary stages.

Kenya will host the 2016 edition. The just concluded 14th FEASSSA Games ran from August 16 to 23 in Huye and Gisagara districts in the Southern Province.

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