Uganda ready for Africa under 19 cricket tournament

By Ronnie Kintu ARRANGEMENTS for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Africa under 19 tournament have been finalised as the foreign teams arrive today. The championship opens on Friday with matches at Lugogo and Kyambogo ovals. Lugogo sports club has been face lifted, sight screens painted, score boards set and dressing rooms upgraded. The same dose has been given to newly upgraded Kyambogo oval where a standard club-house has been constructed, sight screens elevated and a parking yard established. Tournament coordinator and former UCA secretary Chris Azuba will be at the airport this afternoon to receive the participants from Namibia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia. Players from Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia arrived yesterday evening and start practice matches today. The 75 participants to reside in Tourist hotel will have practice matches tomorrow morning followed by the captains and management briefing in the afternoon. A welcome function presided over by Premier Apollo Nsibambi will close the day at Rock Gardens Speke Hotel. The ICC sanctioned championship that has attracted five teams is also a qualifier for the 2002 under 19 world cup where the winner will represent Africa. However, Kenya has a One Day International (ODI) status that enables it to play one day matches with any team worldwide. Therefore, Kenya despite this competition qualifies for the 2002 world cup automatically and will only be here to give competition and test its development team before the world meet. ICC project manager Chris Tetley is already in the country and has started inspection of the playing facilities at Kyambogo and Lugogo ovals. Uganda is hosting the teens tournament after years of striving to expand the game in the country. The aim of the youth tournament sponsored by the ICC at $65,000 is to give an opportunity to young African cricketers broaden their scope of international exposure. The new development follows the success of the Uganda Cricket Association in implementing the ICC sponsored youth development programmes. ICC recently recognised UCA's efforts by sponsoring a youth academy established last month under the auspices of the ICC development officer for East Africa Tom Tikolo. Action for the Africa championships starts on Friday with hosts Uganda taking on West Africa at Lugogo oval while Kenya takes on Namibia at Kyambogo oval. Ends.