She Cranes beaten but Proscovia stands out
Proscovia (R) stretches for the ball during one of her UK outings. Agencies photo
KAMPALA. She Cranes had a difficult night on Tuesday but there was still something to smile about for netball fans.
The Ugandan national side were convincingly beaten 51-40 by Malawi in the Diamond Challenge in Durban but She Cranes captain, Peace Proscovia, picked the Man of the Match award. The award came with a cash token of R3,000 (about Shs0.8m).
Proscovia, just back from a professional stint in United Kingdom, showed she is a stride ahead of her mates as Uganda started the event with a loss.
The Diamond Challenge has attracted all four African countries set to represent the continent at the Netball World Cup due August in Australia. Hosts South Africa are footing the bills for the visiting sides; Uganda, Zambia and Malawi. South Africa opened the tournament with a 63-38 thumping of Zambia before She Cranes, whose World Cup preparations have been hampered by financial problems, faced off with Africa’s top-ranked country, Malawi.
Uganda were on the back foot straight from the start and finished the first quarter trailling 15-11. The turning point of the game came in the second quarter during which She Cranes managed only three goals in 10 minutes to trail 23-13.
Uganda stepped up in the last two quarters but still couldn’t close the gap. “I am happy with the team performance. Malawi is a strong side,” Proscovia told SuperSport after the game. “I am also delighted with this award.”
