Our sporting girls just want to have fun and hopefully fun they will have
What you need to know:
Clearly, the Gazelles, who were shorn of the services of professionals Jamila Nansikombi and Victoria Mukisa for varying reasons, have their work cut out.
If, like your humble columnist, you get a great thrill out of putting your finger on the pulse of Ugandan women’s sport, the next few days should serve up quite a treat.
The Netball World Cup, famed for being the largest women's sporting event, got underway in South Africa Friday with Uganda amongst the 16 countries vying for bragging rights. If the She Cranes' return to the big time in 2015 after a 36-year hiatus felt improvised, almost accidental, the team has since improved in leaps and bounds.
Fred Mugerwa's charges headed into Friday's opening match against Singapore in peak form after breezing past Barbados and Scotland in trial matches. The team's fans, who are legion, are not commenting acerbically on the absence of stalwarts like Peace Proscovia and Stella Oyella. As this column argued with, hopefully, great granularity a few weeks back, responsible authorities have offered a nuanced performance insofar as handling a matter of no small consequence such as a transition is concerned.
Small wonder, a fatalistic mood has not taken hold of the team’s backroom staff as the She Cranes ready themselves to face New Zealand today and Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow. There is growing confidence that the team will be spared of any grave visitations that could condemn it to playing for the 13th to 16th placings.
There also appears to be no shortage of confidence in the Ugandan camp as the senior women’s basketball team prepares to figure in the Fiba Women’s AfroBasket 2023. The Gazelles, who opened their account in the continental showpiece event on Saturday, have only one appearance—in 2015–under their belt. They come up against Senegal today before locking horns with Mali tomorrow. Both teams are former African champions.
While Mali's lone victory in 2007 could pass for a statistical rounding error, Senegal's 11 titles are unparalleled. The last of those wins, however, came in 2015, with Nigeria—the winner of the past three continental championships—proving to be their arch nemesis.
Clearly, the Gazelles, who were shorn of the services of professionals Jamila Nansikombi and Victoria Mukisa for varying reasons, have their work cut out. Despite a size mismatch that will definitely see their West African opponents pound the inside, Uganda should be expected to be defiant if not dutiful.
With players like Jannon Otto and Jane Asinde on the Gazelles' roster, fans of the Ugandan outfit are hopeful that events in the Rwandan capital of Kigali will unfold with a dazzling array of surprises. A penetrating and insightful interrogation, however, comes to the conclusion that the hulking presence of Senegal and Mali might prove too steep a hurdle for Uganda.
Your columnist, however, expects the Gazelles to be competitive. This after all is a big part of what they have imbibed from Spanish coach Alberto Antuña.
Just as competitive is the squad flying Uganda's flag at the ongoing Cecafa Under-18 Women’s Championship in Tanzania. The outfit ticked all the right boxes en route to edging past Ethiopia 1-0 midweek without fully achieving what many believe it is capable of. They followed up that razor-thin win with a more lopsided performance against Zanzibar on Thursday, running out 3-0 winners.
With hosts Tanzania and Burundi the other teams taking part in the round robin tournament, there is truly no room for error. Ugandan fans will doubtless be held spellbound as they will on their team in the coming days.
This column takes great delight in the fact that the netball, basketball and football federations spared no effort in preparing the respective teams. It would be disingenuous to say that any of the three outfits is undercooked. Your columnist wishes each of the three outfits every good fortune.
