Mainstays bound to get She Cranes nod for INF World Cup
Keeping The Faith. Goal Attacker Nanyonga (foreground) leads the warm-down stretching drills session recently. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
- Uganda was pooled in Pool D alongside hosts and 2018 Commonwealth Games champions England, Samoa and Scotland in World Cup.
Other African countries that qualified for this year’s World Cup include South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
KAMPALA. The national netball team - She Cranes’ provisional squad of 37 is yet to start training for the Netball World Cup due July 12-21 at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England.
However, as usual, the team’s mainstays have already been labelled as favourites to book places on the She Cranes team that will represent the country at the world event.
The likes of Rachael Nanyonga (goal attacker), Florence Nanyonga (wing defender), Stella Oyella (goal defender), Jesca Achan (center), Ruth Meeme (centre) and Captain Peace Proscovia (shooter) played at the 2015 World Cup in Australia and have proved their worth in consequent competitions.
Ajio, the She Cranes assistant team captain, says the experience garnered from different events including the 2015 World Cup has earned them respect.
She adds that this year’s return to the world event will see an improved performance compared to that of 2015 where they were still ‘raw’ amateurs.
“We want to be among the best and that’s why we grow stronger every day. Our opponents play a faster game but for us our style is slow netball so we have to stick on that. We ought to better our performance in this World Cup,” said Ajio.
Uganda’s surge from the 11th position to ninth as per the 2018 rankings and now seventh is a result of the hard work of this combination alongside a few graduates from the under-21 netball team - the She Pearls.
She Cranes experienced back to back victories in the African Netball Championships, emerged sixth in Commonwealth Games last year in Australia, won the Barbados friendlies, and also emerged champions in the inaugural East African Community games in Burundi. The team was only stopped by England in the three test friendly games.
Uganda was pooled in Pool D alongside hosts and 2018 Commonwealth Games champions England, Samoa and Scotland in World Cup.
Other African countries that qualified for this year’s World Cup include South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
SHE CRANES MAINSTAYS ROSTER
Rachael Nanyonga (goal attacker), Florence
Nanyonga (wing defender), Stella Oyella (goal
defender), Jesca Achan (center), Ruth
Meeme (centre), Peace Proscovia (captain)
