The She Cranes story!
It is one of those hard to believe stories. It is a tale of a team that has endured un-imaginable hardships but still clawed its way to its dreams.
In 2013, few people would have given the She Cranes a chance of qualifying for any major tournament. Not that Uganda lacked the talent. The She Cranes have actually always been among Africa’s Crème de la Crème.
What put Uganda’s chances of contesting in any championship in doubt, was the absence of resources not only to prepare, but also take the team to any event.
While preparing for their return to the global showpiece, the World Cup, the She Cranes had to participate in the Africa Netball Championships hosted by Malawi in 2013.
But the team had no resources.
As a result, Uganda’s national netball team endured a journey that included a 2399km road trip to Malawi.
And due to fatigue, the team could only settle for Bronze. Clearly this was no mean achievement.
Turning point
She Cranes’ bronze medal in Malawi convinced Uganda Netball Federation that the team could compete among the best.
So, when the federation received an invitation from Singapore for the Six Nations tournament later in 2013, there was a certain level of belief that the She Cranes could defy the odds and win it.
UNF approved the invitation and the next task was to source for money. But just like before, sports authorities made it very clear from the start that there was no money.
But the netballers were not a group that would give up. They moved from office to office looking for support.
The team was meanwhile training on makeshift courts. The She Cranes home in Nakivubo had been turned into a construction site. There was also lack of a proper kit and allowances to motivate the team.
But just when they were about to this time throw in the towel, their pleas were answered. The President Yoweri Museveni offered the team sh100m and the team managed to fly to Singapore.
Despite missing the first game, the She Cranes were able to win all their remaining games to lift the title.
Tough World Cup qualifying experience in Botswana
But even that didn’t seem enough to convince the authorities about their potential.
There were the Africa World Cup qualifiers in Botswana to attend but the She Cranes could not fund their trip to Gaborone.
One government official was even blunt enough to advise that the netball body pulls out of the qualifiers.
Parliament saves World Cup adventure
A visit to parliament for yet another round of begging provided the magic wand. The lawmakers touched by the netballers’ plight, fundraised sh38m for the team.
Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, who was later to be accorded the status of She Cranes ambassador, was instrumental in this move.
But then the money the team had just secured from the law makers was just enough for travel.
The then, She Cranes manager Jocelyn Ucanda, remained in Kampala for more fundraising. With time running out, she had to seek the services of a money lender.
Amidst all this, the team was playing its qualifiers minus basics like a proper kit, refreshments during matches and allowances. They had traveled with only $200! There were even fears the team would be detained by the hotel over unpaid bills.
“That was the most difficult bit of our journey to Sydney. But we were driven by the qualification dream. We just couldn’t crack,” recounts She Cranes team captain Peace Proscovia.
The zeal indeed paid off with Uganda emerging top of the qualifiers in 2014.
There was fanfare on the team’s return. Everyone suddenly wanted to be associated with Uganda’s heroines. Parties were thrown and huge promises made. The team’s problems had somehow, become history.
The She Cranes made their Netball World Cup debut in 1979 in Trinidad and Tobago but only returned in 2015 after 36 years of absence from the world event.
But hardly had the celebrations died out than the team was struggling again.
Financial struggles
Over the last eight years, basics have been a rarity. The team has had to plead for access to the Lugogo indoor facility and finances to prepare for major championships like the Africa Nations Cup which they won in 2016 in Kampala.
In 2018, defended their Africa Netball Cup title in Zambia.
But the story was still the same –a lack of finances to adequately prepare for the tournament.
The story was not any different ahead of the 2024 Africa Netball Cup in Namibia and 2025 Vitality Netball Nations Cup in England. The She Cranes finished second in Namibia and secured a bronze medal in England respectively.
The She Cranes won a bronze medal at the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series, and also secured a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Seventh in the World
The She Cranes’ success story since 2013 has elevated Uganda to seventh in the World Netball rankings.
Going forward, Uganda needs to play more international matches and Netball Uganda president Jocelyn Ucanda emphasizes the need to compete consistently over a long period of time.
“Ranking is based on how many international ranking games you have played in a particular time. The requirement is that a country has to play 8 International ranking games in 4 years. This requires government funding of the national team. Sponsors to supplement what the government invests in federations to be able to keep or improve the ranking,” says Ucanda.
