Aziz Damani want stronger national teams – Siva

Eleven titles in six years of existence, the Aziz Damani Sports Club franchises have every reason to toast to their telling stories of success in the respective Division I and II of the men and women’s National Cricket League.

In a belated ceremony held at Lugogo Oval where the fraternity observed a moment of silence for their former chairman and trustee John Nagenda, Damani received gongs for their stranglehold in the 2022 season.

Ghulam Hunzai’s men picked up their fifth straight title in Division I, Immaculate Nakisuyi’s ladies celebrated their fourth in the women’s topflight, and U-19 star Edwin Nuwagaba guided the Aziz Damani Development XI to victory in the men’s Division II with the ladies’ development side picking up consolation silver medals in the women’s second division.

The franchise’s haul totaled to three overall titles and one runner-up for the season but the club Chief Executive Officer Siva Koti maintained that their outfits will be hunting for more silverware this term with a big agenda of uplifting competition in the different national set-ups.

Main goal

“We always toast to each of our titles as if it is our first,” said the philanthropic Koti. “We have many players and are still attached to some that we let go because of competition rules about the number of national team players a club must have. But our main goal is to make sure Uganda has strong national teams from U-15 to the Cricket Cranes and Victoria Pearls. And we can only do that by promoting competition at his level.”

The defending champions could've won the league with a 100 per cent record but they shared spoils with Wanderers in one of the games that was declared a no-result. Ceylon Lions gave Damani a run for their money, but fell short and in the end were happy with a second-place finish as they’re still a new side in the top division.

Nyakasura managed to keep off Patidar and gain promotion to the top flight as the second side from the second division.

2022 National League Awards

Men - Division I

Champions: Aziz Damani

Runners-up: Ceylon Lions

Men - Division II

Champions: Aziz Damani Devt

Runners-up: Nyakasura

Women – Division I

Champions: Aziz Damani

Runners-up: Olila CC

Women Division II

Champions: Jinja SS

Runners-up: Aziz Damani Devt

Individual Winners - Division 1 Men

Best Batsman: Simon Ssesazi (Aziz Damani) 288 runs

Best Bowler: Yashashvi Joshi (Avengers) 18 wickets

MVP: Harsh Panchal (Avengers) 18 wickets & 201 runs

Division 2 Men

Best Batsman: Ronald Lutaaya (Aziz Damani Devt) 348 runs

Best Bowler: Chintan Kerai (Patidar) 26 wickets

MVP: Chintan Kerai (Patidar) 26 wickets & 279 runs

Division 1 Women

Best Batter: Stephanie Nampiina (Aziz Damani) 181 runs

Best Bowler: Franklyn Najjumba (Best Bowler) 17 wickets

MVP: Stephanie Nampiina (Aziz Damani) 181 runs & 6 wickets

Division 2 Women

Best Batter: Whitney Nassuna (Jinja SSS) 116 runs

Best Bowler: Irene Mutonyi (St John’s SSS Mukono) 16 wickets

MVP: Irene Mutonyi (St John’s SSS Mukono) 116 runs & 31 runs