The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The national netball team, She Cranes, has secured air tickets for the upcoming World Cup. The tournament is slated for July 12th to 21st in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Uganda’s delegation, of 25 people including the team, will travel on Friday.
The President of the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF), Susan Anek says that although the government has not released funds for the World Cup, it has bought the air tickets for the team and the technical personnel.
The She Cranes are among teams drawn from sixteen countries that will take part and are in Group D alongside the hosts England, Samoa and Scotland. Early this year, the Federation submitted a request to the government to release shillings 2.1 billion for the 2019 World Cup.
Government releases funds to national sports associations and federations through governing body-National Council of Sports-NCS
The request was for payment for visas, air tickets, accommodation, feeding, and allowances among others.
The NCS Acting Secretary General, Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel says that government will release funds to the team on Thursday.
Since the federation has been hunting for funds from the time the team qualified for the World Cup in August, it has left some fans angry and dismayed.
Some Ugandan fans including legislators for Workers, Margaret Rwabushaija and Kasese Woman MP, Winfred Kiiza have been concerned that the ministry of finance has delayed to release funds to facilitate the team, which could affect their performance at the World Cup.
However, Anek has downplayed such concerns, saying that the team is determined to among others beat England and also Scotland that is now ranked seventh in the world.
Amidst the pressure to secure funds for the air tickets and other activities, Anek says that the team has been preparing for its opening match against England on July 12th.
Anek says that the challenges in securing funds is also a motivator for the team to perform much better at the World Cup, now that Uganda has even moved one rank higher in the world from seventh to sixth position.
The Netball World Cup takes place every four years. The She Cranes have participated in two World Cup editions so far, making its first appearance in 1979 and then in 2015 when it emerged 8th.
The 2019 World Cup squad includes 7 players who participated in the previous event. They include the Team captain Peace Proscovia, Rachael Nanyonga, Ruth Meeme, Stella Oyella, Jesca Acan, Sylvia Nanyonga and Lillian Ajio.
Proscovia will join travel from Australia and join the team in Liverpool.
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