Securing a permanent home remains top priority for Netball Uganda's new executive

Getting a permanent home for the She Cranes remains the number one priority for the newly sworn in Netball Uganda executive led Jocelyn Ucanda.

The She Cranes have continued to wander from one venue to another as they prepare for major championships outside the country. And they could have been left searching for one in their latest preparations for the Vitality Netball Series due in England next month, if Hamz Nakivubo hadn’t offered them a free training venue as the Lugogo indoor stadium had been booked for another event over the weekend.

Ucanda says finding a home is still the number one priority on their list of needs because they cannot continue to move up and down looking for venues much as people are still helpful.

“We need to find our own home where we can have our training, our competitions because in the future we would like to host events like the Africa Cup and the Netball World Cup,” Ucanda said.

“We want to bring the netball world to Uganda, for now they cannot come because we don’t have a home; we can’t host them at the moment.

“We want to be in position to host events like FUFA is going to do with the CHAN and AFCON tournaments, we would also wish to have that capacity to bring the world here,” she stated.

“Uganda is very attractive to the world, most of them want to come here; they have been to all the other countries and they need to experience something different.

“Our girls have marketed Uganda and people outside there want to come and see where these girls come from, so we need to have a home and it is very urgent on our agenda.

“We shall be sharing with various stakeholders to come to our rescue and support to enable us to have a home but majorly the government of Uganda,” she noted.

Having started their training at the Makerere University ground on January 6, the team shifted their training to the Lugogo Indoor Arena but could not continue there on the weekend as the facility was booked for other activities. This prompted the team managers to look for an alternative venue which came in the form of the Hamz Stadium.

“Ham has been very gracious to us to offer us his facility at this time of need. Most of the alternative netball facilities are not very good and come at a cost which we might not afford at this time. But when approached Hamis Kiggundu he was very gracious and offered us the facility at no cost,” Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda said.

“We want to thank him for being magnanimous, for being a lover of the sport; and majorly this sport of women that majorly requires more investors to come to their support; so we are very grateful on behalf of Netball Uganda and on behalf of She Cranes and majorly these athletes who need protected environment but also access to a classic facility which has dressing rooms, they have a resting place, and to a place where they feel valued,”.

“We extend our appreciation to him and also congratulate him on this huge investment he has put in place for netball, football and basketball. To have a three-in-one and be able to extend a hand of support is really huge, so we thank him for the big heart towards the growth and re-development of netball in Uganda; he has given us a full package,” Ucanda stated.