___________________

Hockey senior women's team captain Norah Alum has vowed to lead the Hockey Lady Cranes to victory at the Zambezi series in Lusaka, Zambia.

"We're heading out for the series to win all the games and emerge as champions, aiming to make amends for our losses in the last series in Nairobi in 2021," Alum declared during the flag-off ceremony at Lugogo.

The flag-off ceremony on May 31, 2024, overseen by National Council of Sports (NCS) administrative assistant in charge of hockey, James Kasumba, and NCS assistant general secretary technical, David Katende, marked the team's departure for Zambia.

The Zambezi series, scheduled for June 7-9, 2024, will feature teams from Zambia, Malawi, and Uganda.

The Ugandan team embarked on a 2500km bus journey to Lusaka, Zambia, travelling through Tanzania on Monday morning, with an expected arrival in Zambia by Wednesday night.

Both the women's and men's teams, each comprising 18 players, will be supported by a technical bench of five officers per team. The women's team is led by head coach Moses Nsereko, assistant Martin Okello, and team manager Bridget Baine. The men's team is led by head coach Vincent Kasasa, assistant Bernard Bwire, and team manager Byron Matovu.

The women's team aims to prove their worth on the continental stage after failing to secure a win at both the 2021 Nairobi series and the 2022 Hockey AFCON in Accra, Ghana.

"The endurance levels of the team are high, and we pledge to post better results in preparation for next year’s Hockey AFCON," Alum confirmed.

The men’s team captain Emmanuel Baguma assured the NCS officials and the country that they are traveling with the intent to win the series and improve their ranking.

"We travel to improve our ranking of 9th in Africa to a better one, as we are playing against sides we have watched recently and believe we can beat," Baguma noted.

NCS's David Katende urged the players to seize the opportunity and make the country proud.

"The only way to lure the government to provide more funding to the association is by performing well when an opportunity arises. It is time to live up to that calling," Katende emphasised.