She Cranes Withdraw from 2023 African Netball Championship Amidst Management Turmoil

The Uganda national netball team, the She Cranes, will not participate in the 2023 African Netball Championship scheduled to commence on November 26 in Botswana. The decision, confirmed by Moses Mwase, the chairperson of the ad-hoc normalization committee for Netball, is attributed to challenges in mobilization amid recent management turmoil.

The crisis unfolded when the National Council of Sports (NCS) revoked the certificate of recognition for the Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) due to governance disputes between UNF president Sarah Babirye Kityo and NCS general secretary Patrick Ogwel. The She Cranes, known for their stellar performances, recently achieved a fifth-place finish in the Netball World Cup.

Following allegations of mistreatment of players, harassment, misappropriation of funds, and failure to account for funds, Kityo was asked to step down. Failure to comply led to the official revocation of UNF’s recognition certificate, preventing their participation in international competitions. An ad-hoc normalization committee now manages the federation’s operations, with plans for future elections and a focus on participation in the 2024 Vitality Netball Nations Cup.