Netball
Questions linger as She Cranes conquering journey raises financial storm
Netball Africa has its continuous share of disorganization, a reality vividly exposed during fixtures arrangements at the 2026 Africa Netball Cup in Kenya. Yet, back home, the domestic drama surrounding Netball Uganda never seems to stop.
On September 14th, the She Cranes left Uganda by bus, went on to win the Africa Netball Cup in Kenya, and returned home by bus on September 27th, a grueling transit reality that has raised profound questions.
The controversy erupted into public view when the State Minister of Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, came out through a post reply on X (formerly Twitter) on a Saturday night.
His remarks came hours after Uganda gloriously beat defending champions South Africa 56-53 in the final to lift the African title and successfully secure qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
“This is strange. I have just talked to the General Secretary of NCS, and he confirmed that the Netball Federation was fully facilitated to participate in this tournament in Kenya,” Ogwang wrote.
“The decision to make the team travel by road is not just shocking but unfortunate, and I am going to investigate further. I will personally host the team when they return and get to the bottom of this matter.”
The minister was responding directly to an online post inquiring whether he knew the players had traveled by road and were expected to return the exact same way. Notably, he did not specify the exact amount of funding the federation received, whether it explicitly covered air travel, or who ultimately authorized the cost-cutting transport decision. Up to that point, the federation had not publicly responded to his remarks.
Unpacking the Financial Paper TrailThis development naturally sparks a core question: Did Netball Uganda receive this money separately, or was it drawn from the quarterly disbursements routinely given to federations?
To understand the puzzle, one must look at how the funds were initially accounted for. In the beginning, Netball Uganda claimed they received 250 million Uganda Shillings, a sum meant to cover players’ allowances, transport, accommodation, and other federation activities for the quarter that commenced in July.
However, a massive chunk of that money vanished before it could touch the current campaign: 142 million Uganda Shillings was deducted and channeled to a money lender who had previously paid for the team’s air tickets for an earlier Africa Netball Cup, clearing a lingering debt left behind by the former Normalization Committee amounting to 133 million Uganda Shillings plus accrued interest.
Following this deduction, the balance on the account dwindled down to 108 million Uganda Shillings.Further deductions were made to finance Umpires who had traveled out of the country to study for an international umpiring badge, costing in the region of $200 to $250.
With roughly 107 million Uganda Shillings finally remaining, a glaring question lingers; Where did Netball Uganda source the rest of the funds required for both national teams (men and women) to participate in the entire Africa Netball Cup tournament?
Did they procure another loan that will mysteriously surface in the future?
Rewards on the Ground
Meanwhile, as financial accountability questions swirl at the top, the athletes who carried the nation’s flag high have received modest rewards for their sweat.
Reliably informed sources indicate that the ladies who clinched Gold after edging the SPAR Proteas of South Africa 56-53 received individual allowances of 1.5 million Uganda Shillings per player.
Concurrently, the Rock, the men’s netball team that proudly bagged bronze, received 1 million Uganda Shillings per player.
Ultimately, while the minister’s strong statement is yet to yield explicit financial clarification from top federation officials, the paradox of continental champions enduring a exhausting bus journey despite claimed full funding leaves the sports fraternity demanding answers.
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