Miserable Pool Cranes face big squeeze

With the trip to the All Africa Pool Association (AAPA) Championship in Lusaka, Zambia, knocking hard, uncertainty hovers over the participation of the national pool team, the Pool Cranes.

Uganda is expected to play at the biennial championship that will feature teams from hosts Zambia, Tanzania, Eswatini, Morocco, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa from March 3-6.

The 20-man team is on the wall. Individual players have created WhatsApp groups to solicit for money as reality hits harder to home that funds may be unlikely for the team.

The Pool Association of Uganda (PAU) has organised regional tours to help raise funds for the travelling team.

Starting this Friday, the team will play a friendly game with a Mukono Select side at Krooked Cue in Namataba where they will face the likes of former national team captain Alfred ‘Black Sheep’ Gumikiriza.

On Sunday, they will head west to Masaka to play the Greater Masaka select team ahead of their scheduled travel to Lusaka.

Individuals such as James Mwere, a tour operator in Mukono, have donated cash to the team but the Shs40m budget still has gaping holes.

To raise funds, officials hoped they could get the ear of deputy speaker Anita Annet Among to bail out the team due to her undying passion for sport, but they have not been able to see her for two weeks.

The National Council of Sports (NCS) is reportedly in dire straits and have neither offered a hand or promise.

Instead, according to the pool president Bob Trubish, the NCS has given them an ultimatum to raise the funds or risk cancelling the trip.

"The NCS General Secretary told us that if we do not raise the money, he will not authorise our trip," Trubish said.

The hope now is in Zambian-based pool enthusiast and national team patron Hans Rugari.

He has in the past facilitated the team travel but he said in a telephone interview that since he is away, he may not be able to organise necessary funds for the team.

But he is working on securing team uniforms. The Pool Cranes, who could take a four-day road trip to Zambia, will have only 12 players taken care of by the organisers.

The players will obviously want to travel to get a share off the $12,300 prize fund but for now, there is only hope and fate.

Pool Cranes squad

Men: Mansoor Bwanika, Ibra Sejjemba, Habib Ssebuguzi, Caesar Chandiga, Azali Lukomwa, Ibrahim Kayanja, Joseph Kasozi, Glorious Ssenyonjo, Geoffrey Settumba, Yudah Ssembuusi and Ivan Murungi.

Women: Rashida Mutesi, Rukia Naiga, Ritah Nimusiima, Victoria Namuyanja, Zaimatt Nambafu, Amina Nganda and Immaculate Ayebazibwe.

Pool Cranes fundraising tour

Friday: Krooked Cue Namataba

Sunday: Greenwood Bar, Masaka

Entrance: Shs5,000