Uganda’s Parliament netball team has intensified its preparations for the 16th East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary Games, with the reigning champions demanding greater discipline as they plot another title-winning campaign in Arusha, Tanzania.
With the regional showpiece less than 60 days away, the netball squad is stepping up its training programme at Lugogo Sports Complex, determined to carry Uganda’s dominance from the previous edition onto foreign soil.
The team went unbeaten in the last tournament on home ground, securing the netball crown and contributing to Uganda’s overall championship success. The challenge now is to replicate that authority when the games shift to Tanzania.
But before the squad can think about defending its title, players have been reminded that places in the final team must be earned.
Team manager and Bukoto East County MP Hon. Babirye Kityo Sarah delivered that message during Thursday’s training session, calling for a stronger commitment from the players.
Babirye, who also features as one of the team’s shooters, warned her teammates against taking selection for granted, stressing that consistent attendance, discipline and performance will determine who makes the final travelling squad.
She urged the players to approach the preparations with both physical and mental readiness, while cautioning that repeated absenteeism could jeopardise a player’s chances of travelling to Arusha.
The squad is training under veteran tactician Fred Mugerwa Tabale, with sessions running from Monday to Friday between 6:00am and 9:00am.
The netball team is part of a wider Ugandan parliamentary delegation preparing for the EAC Games, with football, basketball, volleyball, tug of war and athletics teams also intensifying their programmes.
Uganda will enter the Arusha edition as the reigning overall champions, raising the stakes for a delegation seeking to retain its regional supremacy.
For the netballers, however, the immediate task is clear: earn the shirt, build cohesion and arrive in Arusha ready to defend the crown.
