Northerns bowl off U-19 Women World Cup preps with Inter-Hub event

Northerns Cricket Hub (NCH), in collaboration with the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA), is set to host the inaugural Under 18 Girls Inter-Hub tournament at St Joseph’s College Layibi from January 24-28.

The event aims to serve as a platform to nurture the talents of the future national Under 19 Women’s team – the Baby Victoria Pearls, in preparation for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier scheduled for August in Kigali, Rwanda.

The participating franchises include the Jinja-based East Enders, Mukono Cricket Community, Soroti Cricket Academy, and the host, Northerns Cricket Hub.

All matches will be broadcast live by Podgal Production, a seasoned production team with experience covering several ICC events. The live stream links will be shared across all UCA social media platforms. The tournament will adopt a round-robin format spanning four days, with teams arriving in Gulu on January 24 and departing on January 29.

Selection avenue

UCA Development Officer Grace Mutyagaba, overseeing operations in Northern Uganda, expressed the intent behind the tournament, stating; “We aim to provide a platform for women and girls under the age of 18 to showcase their talents from the various hubs we have established.”

He added; “This event will also serve as a crucial avenue for selecting the core of the Under 19 girls' team for the World Cup Qualifier in Rwanda this August.

“This initiative serves as a platform for UCA to showcase and monitor progress within the hubs, empowering them to conduct activities in the U15s and U17s categories. While it is a groundbreaking endeavor, we believe the empowerment gained will yield long-term benefits.

“However, one of the challenges lies in securing funding. Local sponsorships are challenging to solicit, and there is also a shortage of equipment which is essential for sustaining such projects. We are making a plea to all well-wishers that we require a significant amount of equipment to facilitate the smooth running of the competition.”

NCH has received facilitation from Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), both of whom played a pivotal role in the initial stages of training the participating players throughout the past year. Additionally, Podgal Production has been enlisted as the live streaming partner for the event.

HUBS TO TAKE PART

East Enders

Northerns Cricket Hub

Mukono Cricket Community

Soroti Cricket Academy