She Cranes reach WC, Bwogi triumphs in ring

Ugandan players must stand up to be counted tonight against the dominant English Roses. File photo

What you need to know:

  • Commonwealth GAMES. There were bare hugs, high fives and screams in the tunnel after the epic victory over Malawi.

The victory celebrations at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre bore resemblance with a post-games party toasting to a hard-earned Gold medal.
Inside the tunnel of the centre, bare hugs, high fives and screams of joys were traded as the national netball team struggled to contain their excitement at reaching the 2019 World Cup to be staged in Liverpool next year. And who could blame them after a tense game against a dedicated Malawian team that absorbed every She Cranes blow and traded theirs in the most thrilling netball game of the Commonwealth Games thus far.
All the She Cranes needed prior to the game was to hold off Malawi to reach the World Cup. And for long spells, they led the Malawian Queens without exactly establishing a comfortable cushion to dispirit their opponents. Led by Goal Shooter 29-year-old Mwayi Kumwenda who turns out for the Melbourne Vixens in the Suncorp Super Netball League of Australia, the Queens showed remarkable lasting power and seized the later midway through the final quarter of the game.
With Kumwenda who shot 43 of her 47 attempts at the fore, the crowd was partisan in favour of the Queens and almost rallied them to victory.
But this She Cranes team possesses bags of mental resilience and they duly dug deep to clinch a richly satisfying win led by the outstanding shooting of Peace Proscovia and Rachel Nanyonga who converted 92 and 91 per cent of their attempts.

Thanking God
“We thank God for this victory,” said the prayerful Proscovia on whom so much rests for Team Uganda.
“Malawi were not a simple team but we never lost confidence in ourselves even when it looked like we had given way the initiative.”
The team were later treated to a sumptuous dinner by the Ugandan community living in Australa at Harrigan’s Drift Inn where their efforts were appreciated by the Ugandan High Commissioner Professor Joyce Kikafunda Kakuramatsi. The She Cranes, yesterday, put in another effort but were beaten 54-49 by England in a game where the Imelda Nyongesa’s side showed just how much they have closed the gap with the world’s elite sides.
So impressed was Africa Netball Technical Director Joan Smit with Ugandan that she is reportedly working towards securing deals from more players in UK-based teams.
In boxing, Musa Bwogi beat Merven Clair to clinch a narrow 3-2 decision and advance to the quarter finals of the competition. Bwogi, who got a bye to fight Clair, was in eighth heaven having lost in the preliminaries at the 2017 African Championships in Congo-Brazzaville. The other Ugandan boxer Bashir Nasir lost 4-1 to Swaziland’s Zweli Dlamini.