Netball Uganda sends 14 officials to Nairobi for umpiring course
The officials were flagged off on Saturday at the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) offices in Lugogo by Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda.
Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda (4th left), treasurer Yusuf Kamulegeya and vice president Richard Muhumuza pose for a photo with umpires after flagging off the Ugandan referees to Nairobi for the Umpiring Course Level B during the Africa Netball Championship. PHOTO: Johnson Were
Netball Uganda has sent 14 officials to Nairobi, Kenya, for a three-day (September 15-17) Africa umpiring course aimed at strengthening the country's officiating standards and increasing its representation at international competitions.
The officials were flagged off on Saturday at the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) offices in Lugogo by Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda.
Four officials, Nelson Bogere, Fred Mugerwa, Ali Mugisha and Zubeda Nassanga will attend the umpire instructors' course, while the other 10 will seek to upgrade from Grade C to Grade B.
The programme is expected to address a long-standing concern that Uganda, despite being ranked among the world's top six netball nations, has struggled to have umpires represented at major continental and global competitions.
Wycliffe Nahayo, who welcomed the initiative, said the absence of Ugandan officials at international events has sometimes left the country vulnerable to unfair decisions.
"It has been disturbing that Uganda, despite being number six in the world, neither fields nor has an umpire during continental and world events. Sometimes we are judged unfairly because we have no representative during those events," Nahayo said.
He added that upgrading the officials will also benefit the She Cranes because the same umpires work with the national team during training.
"Learning new umpiring rules is beneficial to our players as well because we are the ones who umpire them during training," he said.
Ucanda said developing the sport requires equal investment in players, coaches and officials.
"You cannot develop netball without empowering umpires," she said.
She explained that netball rules continue to evolve as the sport grows, making regular training and upgrading essential.
"We want our umpires to upgrade to Level B, but that is not the end. There is Level A, so we plan to have them improve from Level B to A. We need professional officials who can maintain the integrity of the game at the highest level," Ucanda said.
The four officials taking the instructors' course will also be equipped to train and mentor lower-level umpires, creating a stronger pathway for developing officiating talent in Uganda.