She Cranes see silver lining as...

Commonwealth Games. The opening day was one of mixed fortunes for Uganda. There was a narrow defeat for the netballers by the world’s second best team, a national record in swimming, a whitewash in badminton at the hands of second-ranked England, a fortuitous advancement in boxing but also a defeat.

It was a typical opening day of action for Team Uganda yesterday at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast with a concoction of results that kick-started Uganda’s hunt for an improved medal haul at the event.

There was a narrow defeat of the netballers by the world’s second best team, a national record in swimming, a whitewash in badminton at the hands of second-ranked England, a fortuitous advancement in boxing but also a defeat.

On a very glorious day in Australia’s sixth largest city, the competition started in earnest with a series of disciplines rolling off across a town whose organisation for the Commonwealth Games has been nothing short of awesome.

Ssekitoleko tenth
Weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko was the first of Uganda’s 69 athletes to compete at the 21st edition but he exited after finishing 10th.

His total of 158kgs (67 snatch, 91 clean and jerk) never looked like threatening the medal bracket where the bronze winner, Chaturanga Lakmal, of Sri Lanka lifted a whopping 90kgs more. The squash pair of Ian Rukunya and Michael Kawooya breathed life into Uganda with decisive morning singles victories but their enjoyment would soon become short-lived after second round eliminations to the English pair of Nick Matthew and Darly Selby.

Classification games
All that remains for the squash team are classification games but there is still the small matter of doubles to be taken care of.
Predictably the team attracting most attention for Uganda in Gold Coast is the She Cranes whose star rises with every passing competition.

Against one of the world’s powers in New Zealand, they held their own for long spells but were undone by sloppy play in defence and attack to go down 64-51.

What they did win, however, were the hearts of the 5,000 fans at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre who rallied them on against the common enemy. Australia, the world’s top ranked side, does view New Zealand as a major rival in many sports and the home fans threw their weight of support behind Uganda through all four quarters.

The sizeable contingent of Ugandans in Gold Coast cheered itself hoarse and left goal shooter Peace Proscovia humbled.
“The Ugandans did really give us extra energy with their support but it was not meant to be,” she observed of the defeat.
“But all we can assure our people is that the next game is against Malawi and that will be a victory,” a confident Proscovia remarked after the game.

“We were playing one of the best teams in the world and if we put up a similar effort going forward, we shall play much better.”
There was a national record for swimmer Joshua Ekirikubinza Tibatemwa in the 50m men’s butterfly but no qualification to the next round.

In boxing, Musa Bwogi is one win away from a medal after earning a bye but Kavuma Ssemujju’s dream was ended by England’s Luke McCormack.

TEAM UGANDA - DAY 1 RESULTS
Netball
New Zealand 64-51 Uganda
Badminton - Mixed Team Event
England 5-0 Uganda
Squash -Round One
Kawooya beat Madako Junior Suari 3-0
Rukunya beat Stephen Henry 3-0
Round Two
Nick Matthew beat Ian Rukunya 3-0
Daryl Selby beat Michael Kawooya 3-0
Boxing
Luke McCormack beat Ssemujju 5-0
Musa Bwogi gets a bye
Swimming
Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza 27.17 NR
Weightlifitng - Men’s 56KGS
Julius Ssekitoleko – Finished 10th