NIC begins title defence in style

By David Namunyala in Nairobi

East Africa Netball Club Championships

Results

NIC 66 KPA 26

DEFENDING champions National Insurance Corporation (NIC) have kicked off the annual East Africa Netball Club Championship in high gear after they thumped Kenya Port Authority (KPA) 66-26 at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Stella Ayella and Rachael Nayonga were on song for the defending champions to jointly put NIC into a 32-16 lead by halftime at the game that kicked off the week-long tournament.

Later Ayella and Nanyonga were substituted for Martha Soigi and Hadijah Nakabuye in the scoring and attacking positions respectively but NIC maintained their momentum throughout the final quarter to hand NIC an opening victory in Pool A.

Pool A also features fellow Ugandan side UCU, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

Ugandan side Prisons ace Ulinzi and MOIKI both from Kenya, KBZ from Zanzibar and New Diamonds from Ghana with the group stages scheduled to end on Thursday.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the semifinals scheduled for Friday and finals to be held on Saturday at the same venue.

While in the men’s side Uganda Prisons will be battling Kenya prisons, GANEC, Takorado from Ghana and JKU from Zanzinar in a round robin session at the same venue.