Uganda hockey national team captain Emmanuel Baguma is ready to lead his teammates to victory as the Hockey Cranes head to Pretoria, South Africa for the 2023 Africa Hockey Olympic qualifier.

The tournament is slated to kick off on October 29 and end on November 5.

Uganda Hockey Cranes are the only team that have represented Uganda at the Olympics having made their debut in the 1972 games in West Germany.

“We have a big task ahead of us to go into the African Hockey Olympics qualifiers with the big dogs and we believe that we shall make a mark and make our nation proud,” Baguma said as the team was being flagged off for the qualifiers.

NCS board member Cecelia Anyakoit and Assistant General Secretary Technical David Katende flagged off the team.

Anyakoit compelled the players to utilize the opportunity given to them to raise the national flag high and see that they qualify for the biggest games in the world.

“The government is very confident you will compete with the best, and come out victorious with the Olympics ticket and surely you should live up to the task,” Anyakoit said.

Eight teams are in the qualifier and the winner will automatically qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Uganda is in Group A with South Africa, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe which makes Uganda the underdogs while Group B consists of Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia.

Team Uganda comprises players who were at the Hockey African Cup of Nations last year in Ghana and only one change was made on the team dropping Moses Tushabe and Mathias Akanyihayo replaced him in the middle of the park.

The team is under the stewardship of Raskara as head coach, Kenneth Tamale as an assistant coach and Byron Matou as team manager while Emmanuel Baguma, Bosco Ochan, Stewart Kavuma, Alfred Agaba, Ashraf Tumwesigye, Brian Bayuule, Brian Okodi, Colline Batusa, Jordan Mpiima, Martin Okello, Mathias Akanyihayo, Maxwell Mugisha, Peter Walusansa, Richard Kaijuka, Richard Ssemwogerere, Solomon Mutalya, Thomas Opio and Timothy Ntumba s players on the team.