By Emmanuel Amooti
The Uganda women’s senior netball team, She Cranes, are now ranked sixth in the latest World Netball rankings 2021.
The World Netball body, (WN), took into account the great display in the just concluded Pent Series and Africa Netball Championship held in Namibia.
In those games, Uganda successfully dismissed Malawi from sixth position with only two points addition.
Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) president, Hon Sara Babirye Kityo, is lauded the players for their effort and hopes for improvements soon.
(Photo/UNF)
She says: “It is a great pleasure that we moved from position seven to sixth. I, therefore, thank the playing staff, technical, government and UNF staff because of team work we managed to achieve it and am happy we ended the 2021 very well.”
Uganda is only a point ahead of Malawi who has 125 points, and Kityo says they are not contented with the position they are in because if they do not work hard, they might lose it.
The challenges
In her View, it is not a time for Uganda to relax but to keep pushing, especially by having international friendly games against high ranked nations like Australia, England and Jamaica.
“This was not an individual effort but we worked as a team. However, this position came with its demands, we are only one point ahead of Malawi, and any slight mistake we might drop.
“So, we need to have more International friendlies with nations that have better position than us,” she adds.
She also intimates the lack of funds is a threat to the team’s performance and calls upon fans, corporate companies and government to intervene.
Meanwhile, Australia, England, New Zealand, Jamaica still top the world rankings, Uganda in sixth and second on continent, and this gives them an automatic ticket to 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth games.
