2022 in Review: What to Celebrate for In Game of Netball
Even during challenging times, success and Celebrating success is inevitable.
With only hours away from entering into 2023, this website shines a torch into the achievements of Netball as a game amidst the financial constraints and leadership challenges the game has encountered in the year 2022.
First forward, Netball via it’s governing body Uganda Netball Federation and the sports governing body in Uganda, National Council of Sports, both confirmed that the sport have never received any quarterly release for last financial year 2021/22 and the ongoing 2022/23.
UNF citing that they don’t know the clear reason as to why National Council never released any money to them despite the fact that the 11th parliament has allocated 3bn shillings for 2022/23 financial year.
However, through their general secretary, Dr. Bernard Ogwel, National Council of Sports asserted that it’s accountability and leadership challenges in Netball tht deter them from releasing government money to a ‘disorganized’ federation.
The issues of funding from government to sports federations and associations forced the 11th parliament to set up an Adhoc committee to investigate the operations of National Council of Sports and we are yet to receive the report of the findings, anyway that’s not the issue why we’re here.
Through the year, Netball has registered a number of achievements the fraternity needs to celebrate before entering 2023.
In the year 2022, Netball through the federation managed to secure at least four outstanding sponsorships and partnership towards She Cranes.
Sponsorship and partnerships:
In March they got GoTV Uganda on board as the first She Cranes partner, the Multi choice Brand, unveiled a 81 million shillings sponsorship for She Cranes preparations for Commonwealth games, Plascon Uganda in May, they joined the group with 70m also to finance the national team arrangement for Commonwealth games, and the two companies moved with the federation in regional tours, MTN Uganda also came on board in July with 50m shillings donation and the last one came from King Ceasor University who sponsorship the She Cranes trip to UK for International test series in September.
She Cranes success
The year’s She Cranes success started in June with the maiden regional tours, where the national team transversed the nation while spreading the game to locals as well as part of preparing the team for the Commonwealth games.
They reached at five regions, that is Buganda, Eastern, Western, Northern, West Nile and Kampala Region.
She Cranes registered a triumphant performance in 2022 Commonwealth games, the team finished fifth for the first time in the tournament’s history, the best performance for pearl of Africa, and on top of that, they managed to beat their rivals South Africa.
She Cranes had another trip in United Kingdom, they had the test series with Northern Ireland, Wales and England Roses in October before another successful tournament (Fast five world series) held in New Zealand in November.
In this tournament, maiden challenge for Uganda, they finished fifth amongst the top six ranked nations in the world, She Cranes beat world’s number one, Australia and world’s number four, Jamaica.
However, before these successful journeys, She Cranes with UNF first launched a replica jersey, the first of it’s kind in Uganda’s Netball.
On the same day of replica jersey unveiling, Uganda Netball Federation at Serena Hotel launched a Champaign dubbed “Securing a home for a girl child dominated sport”.
Netball Super League:
2022 had two league seasons, the last round of 2021/22 season and the first round of 2022/23 season.
National Insurance Corporation Netball Club won that season’s league, the first league to be followed by world class awarding ceremony held at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
The event where the best of that season were celebrated, Weyonje’s defender and Skipper, Shakirah Nassaka was crowned the MVP, Matovu Bashir was named the best in male category.
The 2022/23 season is in recess after first round it’s a bit competitive, KCCA still on top, the only side still unbeaten.
In this year, it’s when they started having gate collection for games especially at Kamwokya though the turn up is still low, advertising still lacking.
The league has been played at three different grounds, Kamwokya Community Sports Center, Bombo and Busia.
The honorable mentions, UNF held AGM that approved constitutional amendments, the secretariat was officially introduced.
The main activities ahead of UNF is the Netball World Cup to be hosted in Cape Town South Africa in July and the Africa Netball Championship where Uganda was chosen to host the event in 2023.