Biggest Feat For 2013 Ugandan Netball:
Attaining first ever international ranking (14th)
Since 1979, in the days of President Yusuf Kironde Lule, Uganda had not played an international netball match outside the African continent. History books were re-written in the 2013 under the Yoweri Museveni regime when The Netball She Cranes played in Singapore and won the Nations Cup, a feat that came forth with the Pearl of Africa nation’s first ever international ranking.
She Cranes attains Rank Status:
For the first time ever, the netball She Cranes attained a ranking on the International Netball Federation (INF) world netball ratings for the very first time. Now on 688 points, Uganda comfortably sits in the 14th position out of the 37 world’s ranked netball power houses on the entire globe.
The positive development followed Uganda’s recent wins in the Nations Cup in Singapore, an internationally recognized tournament where Uganda beat the hosts, Singapore, 52-29 in the final game played.
The current She Cranes ranking means, Uganda is third on the African continent with only Malawi and South Africa above the determined and talented souls from East Africa.
Tanzania is 17th in the world (4th in Africa) while Botswana and Zambia are 19th and 21st in the world – 5th and 6th on the African Continent respectively.
National Team Struggles:
The summoned players on the national team would often fail to turn up due to transport difficulties. Many team members preferred club responsibilities to the national team well aware of the incentives at the clubs than in that famous black, yellow and red striped jerseys.
Its on record, the ladies endeavored over 4000 kilometers on the road from Kampala to and from the Malawian Capital of Blantyre by bus as the team prepared to play in the 3rd Edition of the African Nations Challenge Championships.
Despite finishing 3rd, behind South Africa, the winners and the runners -up , Malawi, there were plenty of positives learnt from the games.
Bar the struggles of players in the local league, every time the Uganda Netball Cranes members would converge, they never disappointed.
Local league:
Talent is tapped from the local league, school’s competitions and other organised local tournaments. For the umpteenth time, the Uganda Netball league is still running minus a main title sponsor, one who would relieve the cash starved Federation off the burden of running the league with transport incentives to clubs, players and other logistical assistance offers.
For all the raw talent in the local league, majority of the girls and ladies get discouraged by the pathetic playing conditions and seek for ‘better’ lives outside the netball circles.
School Netball Games:
From Primary, Secondary, Tertiary institutions to universities, netball is a great brand and remains a ‘hot’ sport in Uganda. The onus remains on the Uganda Netball Federation to make initiatives of following up the discovered talents, with well established structures and teams so that there is an ensured continuity of the game.
One just wonders, what will happen to the netball in the country when the current crop of netballers in the country like Lillian Ajao, the towering sharp shooter, Peace ‘Warid Tower’ Proscovia and company fade out??
Happy for the Happy Netball Cranes, Merry Christmas and prosperous 2014 and the rest of the years to come.
