She Cranes goal shooter Mary Cholhok Nuba is excited to return to Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) side Loughborough Lightning for the 2022 season.

The star who was also the leading goal scorer last season returned to the UK after a summer with her son in Uganda.

Nuba is also studying at Loughborough College while playing for the outfit will look to add to her Golden Shot Awards she has won for three years in a row.

Speaking to the University’s website, Nuba expressed happiness at returning for yet another term.

“Lightning provides top class facilities that support my netball career and studies that help me grow as a person and I’m excited to continue with this journey,” she said.

“I’m so excited for all the Lightning fans to be back at the home venue and I really hope we can achieve back-to-back championships for them.”

Nuba joins fellow Ugandan and former Lightning shooter Peace Proscovia who returned from Sunshine Coast Lightining in Australia.

All is set for the resumption of Lower Division Basketball Leagues after the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) released fixtures.

The FUBA Division One and Two leagues will resume next Saturday, 16th October at Nakaseero Primary School.

The Lower Division Leagues’ regular season will go until 31st October and the playoffs will tip-off on 6th November and run until 4th December as clubs seek promotion.

Tropical Royals lead Men’s Division One standings with 21 points from 11 games, while Kampala Rockets (19), Our Saviour (19) and Rez Life (18) follow closely having played 10 games each on a 14-team log.

Saturday, 16th October | Nakasero Primary School

Division II

• Vegetarian vs. Kings

Division I

• Diamonds in the Sun vs. Our Saviour
• Rez Life vs. Tropical Royals
• Entebbe Archers vs. Gulu Hawks

Sunday, 17th October | Nakasero Primary School

Division II

• Emperors vs. Livingstone

Division I

• Kampala Rockets vs. Gulu Hawks
• Knight Riders vs. Charging Rhino
• Entebbe Archers vs. Rez Life

Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) has appointed Fred Mugerwa Tabale as the new head coach of the She Cranes.

Mugerwa returns to the helm of the senior national netball team after nearly six years away. He was relieved of his duties in 2015 despite qualifying the team to that year’s World Cup.

Mugerwa will be assisted by Sarah Namuddu and Harriet Kabuye. The trio was unveiled to the press by UNF President Sarah Babirye Kityo at the federation offices in Old Kampala on Wednesday.

“With Mugerwa, I am sure that we have got the very best for our national team. We have gone for a local coach because we have been able to achieve all that we have in Netball with these coaches. We are a regional powerhouse and have been at the World Cup before.

“We believe that if we give this technical team enough support, the sky is the limit for us,” Bbairye said at the press briefing.

Babirye handed Mugerwa the team’s players conduct book, UNF Constitution, a coach, and a match ball as a norm to usher in his new leadership as the head coach.

The coaches were handed two-year contracts with work starting immediately.

She has tasked Mugerwa and his assistants to steer Uganda back to the World Cup and also attain the top ranking in Africa.

Uganda is currently ranked number seven in the World and third in Africa per International Netball Federation Rankings.

Uganda has qualified for the 2022 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup that will be hosted by West Indies.

The Baby Cricket Cranes, as they are fondly known, beat Tanzania by eight wickets to leapfrog the side that was top of the standings prior to the game.

Ivan Thawitamwira’s charges needed to win the final game convincingly. After winning the toss, the Ugandans backed up their decision to field first with impressive bowling that dried up Tanzania’s scoring right from the first ball.

Team captain Pascal Murungi was the destroyer in chief, picking four wickets for just 9 runs as Uganda limited Tanzania to 51 runs all out. Joseph Baguma (2/16), Juma Miyagi (1/12) and Akram Nsubuga (1/8) came in handy to support the captain.

Despite Ronald Opio falling in the second over, and Ronald Lutaaya following shortly, the team reached the target with the second ball of the 11th over to hand Tanzania their first loss at the tournament, but ultimately qualify for the World Cup.

Namibia who defeated Uganda in the opening game of the tournament also had a slim chance of qualifying on the last day, but Nigeria’s 184 threw a spanner in the works.

The Baby Cricket Cranes who suffered heartbreak in 2017, are back at the World Cup stage since their back-to-back appearances in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka).

Amateur golfers from the different clubs in the country and across the border in Kenya have the opportunity to converge and compete in a tournament.

This will be on Saturday, 2nd October 2021 during the Uganda Coffee Golf Cup that will be played at Mbale Golf Course.

The nine-hole facility will host at least 100 golfers, all in full observance of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that entails testing (compulsory for all golfers), masking, regular sanitizing as well as social distancing.

The president of Mbale Golf Club, Uthuman Mugoya, says they are ready to host the golfing family and each of the golfers should be ready to present a negative COVID-19 certificate.

“We expect over 100 golfers from all over the country and from neighbouring Kenya who have confirmed. Every participant should undergo a compulsory Covid-19 test and present a 72-hour valid negative COVID-19 certificate before taking part,” Mugoya said.

Golfers from the host club, Jinja, Tororo, Kampala, Entebbe, Lugazi (Mehta), Tooro, Soroti, Kabale, and Kakamega are expected to take part.

The tournament will be played on the medal format of play with prizes awaiting the best top performers in all the categories.

• Event: 2021 Coffee Golf Championship
• Date: Saturday, 2nd October 
• Venue: Mbale Sports Club
• Mode of play: Medal
• Green Fees: 40,000/=

Uganda’s finest netballer Peace Proscovia has returned to the UK and joined Vitality Netball Superleague outfit Surrey Storm.

Proscovia leaves Sunshine Coast Lightning – a side she joined in 2019 after playing for Loughborough Lightning since January 2016.

She is bound to boost Mikki Austin’s team for the 2022 season and will now feature in the league with her Ugandan successor Mary Nuba at Loughborough.

“Peace is a class athlete who brings a wealth of skill, experience and accuracy to our squad, her achievements at Loughborough Lightning and Sunshine Coast Lightning have made her one the world’s best goal shooters,” Mikki Austin, the head coach of Storm, said as quoted by Sky Sports.

She added; “She’s also an incredible human being who will add value to our team environment.”

Peace can’t wait to turn up for Surrey Storm, having helped Loughborough progress into two Grand Finals and take a British Fast5 All-Stars Championship victory.

“I feel blessed to be given this opportunity,” Proscovia said about signing for Storm as quoted by Sky Sports.

“I never thought that I could be offered a contract in England again but had faith that somehow one day I will get back.

“I have always admired Mikki’s style of leadership and am excited to be coached by her. I can’t wait to get back to England.”

Proscovia has been captain of the Ugandan team since 2013 and has featured at the 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cup competitions, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Uganda’s U19 Boys’ National Cricket team, the Baby Cricket Cranes, have been flagged off to Rwanda for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Qualifiers.

The Africa Region qualifiers are scheduled for 28th September to 7th October.

The team, under coach Ivan Thawithemwira, will be competing with hosts Rwanda, Namibia, Nigeria, and Tanzania in a 50-over round-robin format.

Uganda will be battling for a single slot to book a place at the 2022 U19 World Cup in the West Indies. The team will seek to return to a World Cup stage for the first time in 15 years. Uganda has made two appearances in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka).

Pascal Murungi will captain the team and will be assisted by Ismail Munir. The duo was part of the last qualifying campaign in Namibia two years ago and their experience could be resourceful for the team in Kigali.

Ronald Opio and Juma Miyagi are the other players on the team with 2019 experience while the rest of the players will be making their debut in a major ICC event.

Uganda’s Contingent

The Players: 1. Pascal Murungi (Captain), 2. Juma Miyagi, 3. Brian Asaba, 4. Cyrus Kakuru, 5. Ronald Omara, 6. Ronald Lutaaya, 7. Joseph Baguma, 8. Christopher Kidega, 9. Matthew Musinguzi, 10. Ismail Munir (Vice-Captain), 11. Ackram Nsubuga, 12. Pius Oloka, 13. Ronald Opio, 14. Isaac Sanyu Ategeka.

Officials: Ivan Thawithemwira (Head Coach), Robinson Turinawe (Assistant Coach), Habib Kulusum Anguyo (Physiotherapist), Sylvester Rokani (Team Manager).

Uganda’s Schedule

• Thursday, September 30: Uganda vs. Namibia – IPRC Kigali
• Sunday, October 3: Uganda vs. Rwanda – Gahanga Stadium
• Monday, October 4: Uganda vs. Nigeria – Gahanga Stadium
• Wednesday, October 6: Uganda vs. Tanzania – IPRC Kigali

One of Uganda’s Junior Gazelles’ best performers at the 2019 FIBA U16 Women’s African Championship Esther Kwagala Namiiro has landed an opportunity of a lifetime.

Namiiro who has been turning out for Watoto Ladies in the Women’s Division I League earned an opportunity to grow her basketball career and further her education in the United States.

The 18-year-old guard is set to have trials with Danville Christian Academy, a private school in Kentucky.

If successful and is recruited, Kwagala joins the likes Sharon Karungi, Claire Lamunu, and more recently Jamilah Nansikombi and Jane Asinde who have left the country and had successful student-athlete careers in the US.

Uganda’s Victoria Pearls could only manage 4th place in the ICC Africa T20 World Cup Qualifiers after losing to Tanzania by nine wickets.

Victoria Pearls won the toss and chose to bat first in the third-place playoff but that decision never paid off. Tanzania squeezed the Victoria Pearls who were reeling at 45/5 halfway through the innings.

Proscovia Alako (20) tried to rescue the innings but Uganda was all out for 79 in 18.2 overs.

Tanzania knocked off the required total with 40 balls remaining with Fatuma Kibasu (34) and Saum Mtae (36) ensuring that Tanzania takes 3rd place.

It was a poor outing for the Victoria Pearls who saved their worst performance of the series for their last game tournament.

Victoria Pearls, then lady Cricket Cranes, were champions in 2017 but couldn’t replicate the same performance as Zimbabwe won the tournament and will represent Africa in the global qualifiers.

Uganda’s Victoria Pearls suffered a 15-run loss to the Lady Chevrons of Zimbabwe to miss out on a place in Sunday’s final of the Africa T20 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.

Victoria Pearls however had the Lady Chevrons on the back foot in the first innings before collapsing with the bat.

Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first but that decision nearly backfired as the Ugandans quickly reduced them to 44/5 inside 13 overs.

Irene Alumo (2/13) and Evelyn Anyipo (0/10) bowled very mean spells upfront as they made run-scoring very difficult for Lady Chevrons.

However, the change bowlers for Uganda got Zimbabwe on track with Player of the Match Precious Marange (40) punishing any loose bowling, a knock that ultimately handed Zimbabwe a good total.

Marange combined with Loreen Thusma (22) for a 61-run partnership that ensured that Zimbabwe posted 108/6 in 20 overs.

In the chase, Uganda failed to pace their innings and there were no meaningful partnerships. Skipper Immaculate Nakisuyi (18) and Rachel Ntono (14) were the only significant contributions.

Uganda fell short by 14 runs in the final over ending their campaign in Botswana.

The Victoria Pearls will now play for a 3rd-place playoff against Tanzania on Sunday before the team returns to Uganda on Tuesday.