Life Sport withdraws from Netball Super League, cites Ebola concerns

The management of Life Sport Netball Club has broken its silence on the circumstances that forced the team to withdraw from the 2026/27 National Netball Super League on the eve of the competition's commencement.

The new season officially got underway last weekend at Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo. However, the spotlight quickly shifted to Life Sport following confirmation that the side would no longer participate.

Speaking about the club's decision, Life Sport manager Fredrick Mutengesa revealed that the club had successfully recruited more than half of its playing personnel from a partner school and had finalized most of its preparations for the campaign. But just days before the opening round of fixtures, the school's management informed the club that the players would not be released to participate in the league.

The decision, he said, was influenced by growing concerns surrounding the Ebola outbreak that has recently affected parts of the country.

"This was a genuine reason and we had no objection to it. The school management was acting in the best interests of the students. Unfortunately, the communication came at a very late stage when the season was about to begin, leaving us with no realistic opportunity to recruit other quality players who could adequately replace those we had already signed," Mutengesa said.

Beyond the player availability challenge, Mutengesa also voiced strong concerns regarding the manner in which the National Netball Super League is administered. He argued that several structural and governance issues continue to undermine the growth of clubs despite substantial investments made by team owners.

According to Mutengesa, there is a growing perception that certain regulations and administrative decisions tend to favour specific clubs, thereby creating an uneven competitive environment. He further questioned what he described as potential conflicts of interest within the league's governance structures, noting that some club owners also occupy influential positions within the league's organizing committees and executive leadership.

"I wish the owners of some clubs were not the same people serving on the league organizing committee and executive structures. If there was a clear separation, every team would be treated fairly and equally. Unfortunately, there are many regulations, a lot of incompetence within the committee, and several decisions that appear to favour certain clubs," Mutengesa stated.

The club manager also expressed frustration over what he characterized as a lack of professionalism in fixture scheduling and match officiating. He argued that club owners make enormous financial sacrifices to sustain their teams throughout the season, only to feel marginalized when key decisions are made.

"On a typical match day, a club owner can spend more than one million shillings on transportation, player welfare, logistics and other operational costs. Yet many of us feel disrespected," he added.

In response to Life Sport's withdrawal, Netball Uganda Vice President in charge of Technical Affairs Richard Muhumuza disclosed that under league regulations, Life Sport's failure to honour its participation commitment automatically results in relegation to the lower division next season should it wish to continue competing.

"The reason for their withdrawal is unconvincing. The Ministry of Education and Sports allowed the league to commence with necessary Standard Operating Procedures observed. Regarding the other grievances raised, I cannot comment extensively," Muhumuza explained.