She Cranes gear up for maiden Commonwealth Games

She Cranes captain Peace Proscovia celebrates Uganda's victory over Zimbabwe at the Africa Netball Championships at Lugogo in June. Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo

Uganda Netball Federation can now embark on concrete plans to prepare the She Cranes for their first ever Commonwealth Games adventure.

This follows a formal announcement in Gold Coast, Australia which confirmed Uganda among the teams to feature in the April 2018 games. 

Friday's announcement came in the wake of Uganda's rise in the International Netball Federation rankings after winning the Africa Netball Championship in Kampala last June.  

The She Cranes are currently ranked 9th in the world; their highest ever ranking in world netball. 

UNF has eight months to prepare a team which is likely to hinge on Peace Proscovia and Halima Nakachwa as leading players. 

The two women will particularly draw from their 2015 Netball World Cup experience where Uganda finished eighth overall.  

"We are so happy that our team will be competing in our first ever Commonwealth Games," noted She Cranes captain Proscovia, who plays her club netball with English side Loughborough.  

The Commonwealth Games netball competition gets underway with preliminary matches at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre between April 5-12. 

This will culminate into the penultimate matches at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, April 14-15.  

GOLDOC chairman Peter Beattie believes the netball competition will capture the imagination of spectators.  

"Today's official confirmation of the competing nations further strengthens our belief that spectators will witness an outstanding competition.  

"It will have the classic rivalries such as Australia and New Zealand as well as rising nations such as Malawi and Uganda, who we know will capture the imagination of the public," said Beattie in a press statement issued by the INF.  

Commonwealth Games Federation President Louise Martin CBE also looks forward to seeing all the netball action in 2018.  

"Netball is a sensational sport and a firm favourite with fans and broadcasters.  

"I'm delighted to see such diversity of representation from across the Commonwealth and look forward to cheering on the teams in a thrilling tournament in April 2018," Martin said.  

The top-12 ranked teams according to the INF World Ranking list as of July 1, 2017 that have qualified for the GC2018 Netball Competition are as follows:  

1. Australia 

2. New Zealand 

3. England 

4. Jamaica 

5. South Africa 

6. Malawi 

7. Fiji 

8. Wales 

9. Uganda 

10. Northern Ireland 

11. Barbados 

12. Scotland