Netball: will She Cranes shakeup yield results? 

The Uganda Netball Federation normalization committee is racing against time to put up a strong She Cranes team before two international netball tournaments.

Recently, the four-member normalization committee headed by Uganda Swimming Federation boss Moses Mwase summoned 17 players to start preparing for the events. The She Cranes will first participate in the Wales-hosted Pent Series scheduled for January 10 to January 13, 2024 and then feature in the Vitality Nations Cup planned for January 20 to January 27, 2024 in England.

The Vitality tournament is expected to bring world netball giants like hosts England, Australia and New Zealand. The summoning of the She Cranes squad comes at a time when the netball fraternity sharply criticized the Mwase committee for withdrawing the team from the Africa Netball Championship, which ended early this month in Botswana and was won by Zambia.

The absence of the She Cranes in Botswana affected Uganda’s chances of improving its world ranking. The She Cranes recently moved one place to seventh, but had finished fifth at the South Africa-hosted World Netball Tournament in August. As if to show its commitment, the committee has moved fast and made some major changes in the She Cranes team management.

Head coach Fred Mugerwa retained his job but his assistant Sarah Namuddu has been replaced by Kampala University netball team tactician Nouredine Kato, while former She Cranes captain Peace Proscovia, also a member of the normalization committee, is the new She Cranes team manager, replacing Betty Kitimbo Sempebwa.

Irene Eyaru has been retained as She Cranes captain but her assistant, Stella Nanfuka has been replaced by NIC’s mid-court player, Margaret Baagala. The squad also has new faces like NIC’s Sandra Nambirige and Kayeny Privas, plus KCCA’s Mercy Batamuwuliza.

The 17-team squad also has two England-based professional players, Mary Nuba Cholhok and Anisha Muhameed Nakate; otherwise, the rest of the squad members played in South Africa.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

The normalization committee came into being in November this year, following the disbandment of the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) executive committee headed by Sarah Babirye Kityo by the World Netball body and government. Before the intervention of the world netball body, the local federation had had its recognition certificate revoked by the National Council of Sports (NCS) on allegations of misappropriation of funds and lack of accountability.

The committee has until May next year to restore sanity in the netball body. The committee is also mandated to engage the netball stakeholders for the way forward, put in place a new constitution, and organize fresh elections.

In my view, the committee started on the wrong foot, especially with the changing of the She Cranes setup. I do believe that She Cranes management was fine, and did not need changes at the moment.

For example, Kitimbo, who featured at the 1979 World Cup, not only boasts of the highest-level experience, but has worked at the top levels as an administrator for years. Meanwhile, Namuddu, a former She Cranes shooter as well, played a key role in the team’s success in both the Commonwealth games and the world netball tournament.

And being a woman, it was a better balance on the team whose head coach is a male. Lastly, the committee should also engage former federation leaderships who have experienced the pressures of both internal and external forces.

These forces have consistently unsettled UNF leaderships for decades. If this is done, it might help bring sanity to the game. Anyway, these are just my personal views as a netball enthusiast.

bzziwa@observer.ug