Kaala keeps Posta legacy alive

KAMPALA- In her heyday, Rosette Kaala was a respected administrator while her playing days were committed to Posta. She served the Uganda Netball Federation as secretary and vied for the role of presidency in 2007. After the team undergoing metamorphosis, Posta, who were giants in the 90s, collapsed and now the onus is on Kaala, a five-time league winner, to revamp the team.

Funded by Uganda Posts and Telecommunications Corporation, Posta was among the most successful clubs in the 90s grooming talents until 2011 when it collapsed because the organisation could not bankroll it anymore.

To avoid taking the path of now defunct UBL, Coffee, Railway, Nytil, Uganda Breweries among others, former player Kaala, now 60, is determined to maintain the club’s history.
Kaala has utilised her position as a former player, coach, umpire and administrator to bankroll the club with the help of a few well-wishers.

Dream
“I maintained the name Posta after getting permission from the organisation. I kept that name because I want to keep the club legacy,” said Kaala who played and worked for Posta as a telephonist from the 80s.

The club changed training grounds from Nsambya-former Posta’s home ground to Kawempe-Kataka after the court being demolished to allow developments in the area.

Although they will be playing in the second division this season after being relegated at the end of last season after one season, Kaala is confident that her players learnt a lot.

“My aim is grooming young talents and let them go to better clubs because it is cheaper that way. I cannot maintain them for a long time because I do not have sponsors,” she said.

Kaala the player
Kaala started her netball career as a defender at Agha Khan Secondary School now Kampala High School. She was later identified and mentored by former Coffee player Ida Nalongo (RIP) from where she switched to shooting.

She then joined Posta’s second team under coach- player Ruth Bisereko (RIP) before qualifying to the senior team.
While at Posta, Kaala took part in all the national competitions including the novices, national rally, league, Idd Cup and many other memorial Cups. Posta won five national league trophies at that time.

“Competition was tight because the league had more than 10 clubs unlike today hence we had to work hard,” she says.
They also represented the country in the East and Central Africa Championships in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa before the Southern region broke off from the competition to make it East African.

Veteran coach Fred Mugerwa who witnessed Kaala play netball reveals that although there were many good players at the time, Kaala was a determined player and he is pleased by her hard work at Posta.

“There were many good shooters at the time but she loved the game, a reason why she still serves the game as a coach,” Mugerwa said.

In administration
Kaala studied umpiring while still an active player at Posta. She was appointed chief umpire in 2005 after resigning as a player.
She was voted the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) General Secretary under Lydia Bukenya’s tenure as chairperson in 2007. She served in this position for eight years before being replaced by the incumbent Annet Kisomose.

During this tenure, she furthered her studies in umpiring and also attained a level two coaching certificate.
She was appointed director of umpires in Africa in 2017 by the Confederation of Africa Netball Association before the body was dissolved to form Africa Netball.

Kaala was the pioneer of men’s netball in Uganda though it is still struggling.
Dennis Mpoza a UNF delegate in Kampala says men’s netball will always acknowledge Kaala for defending them at the federation.
“The federation had refused to embrace men’s netball since it was not recognised internationally but Kaala advocated for it,” he says.
Kaala was the head of competition at the All Africa Games in Maputo in 2011 where Uganda emerged champions.
She now says netball has moved from worse to better hence a need to groom more talents by different individuals.

At a glance
Rosette Kaala
Position: Coach, umpire
Team: Posta Netball Club
Played for: Posta
Positions: Defender, shooter
Age: 60