End of year review: Netball

The U-21 national netball team's qualification to the Youth Netball World Cup slated for Botswana next year is an achievement Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) has registered this season.

Last year, the senior team She Cranes participated at the netball World Cup in Australia were they finished eighth overall.

Uganda competed for the first time at the global show in 1979.

Now eyes are on the She Pearls team to make an impact at the event in Botswana.

The squad is due to be summoned for training starting in December but team captain Joan Nampungu, Betty Kizza, Annet Najjuka, Joyce Nabuule, Hindi Namutebi, Kevin Aber and Lawulan Nakalyango deserve praise for steering the team to the event in Botswana.
 
World Cup qualifiers

They were in the starting seven at the qualifiers for the Youth World Cup also held in Botswana.

Other members of the team were Sharifah Nalunkuuma, Fauzia Nabuule, Sera Zam, Privas Kayeny and Shafiah Nalwanga.

Uganda beat hosts Botswana 49-36, Lesotho 87-11, Zambia

28-21, Namibia 47-26 and Malawi 34-29 to finish in third position with 10 points and advance.

South Africa who earned 14 points and Zimbabwe at 12 also booked places in the Botswana show.

The She Pearls are drawn in Pool C with Jamaica, Botswana, Cook Island and Malaysia at the event to run for one week.

Prisons retain title

But as the nation celebrated the She Pearls qualification, Prisons netball team  wrapped up the season in style.

When the national league started early this year, there was an evident shift in the balance of power from NIC to rivals Prisons.

NIC's dependable shooter Peace Proscovia moved to Loughborough Lightning in England for a professional stint.

Stella Oyella and Hadijah Nakabuye, also formerly with NIC crossed to Prisons strengthening their scoring department.  

The departures left the 13-time East Africa Club Championship winners with gaps to fill. NIC have also won the national league 16 times.

Prisons beat NIC 40-39 in the championship final to win their maiden title. The team made a first appearance in the event in 2002.

Later on, Prisons defeated NIC 45-41 to end the league unbeaten with 20 points.

They first won the league title in 2011, lost it the following year, then reclaimed it in 2015. Retaining the crown pushed Prisons to another level.

NIC finished second with 16 points, six points ahead of third-placed Police.

Netball body gets boost

There was an improvement in the level of competition in the league this season after former FUFA boss Lawrence Mulindwa offered sh10m to Uganda Netball Federation (UNF).

Mulindwa also offered sh5m used to buy balls and trophies for the league.

The champions Prisons walked away with sh5m, a trophy and medals. NIC and Police pocketed sh3m and sh2m respectively.

Mulindwa promised to double the prize money next season.

Besides the league, Uganda Health Marketing Group (UHMG) under their Injectaplan brand launched the Inter-Regional tournament where Prisons and Nkumba University emerge winners in the clubs and institutions categories respectively.

UNF president Suzan Anek saluted individuals and companies that enabled teams to participate in the World University Netball Championship in the United States, the Youth World Cup qualifiers in Botswana and the Diamond Challenge in South Africa.

At the event in Miami, Uganda's representatives finished fourth overall while in South Africa, the She Cranes got valuable lessons though they lost all three games in the four-nation event.

Anek praised UHMG and Mulindwa for linking up with UNF to develop the game.

Africa event

This season, Uganda was given the go ahead to host the Africa Netball championship.

The event, coming to Kampala for the first time, will be held in June next year.

UNF officials want to build on what has been achieved this year to take the game to another level