Nine nations are set to take part in the forthcoming IHF Africa Zone Five women’s youth and junior tournaments due 6th-10th this month in Kampala, Uganda.
The tournament attracts youthful players aged below 19 years, and Sheila Agonzibwe, the Uganda Handball Federation president, believes that the tournament will give Ugandan teams much-needed exposure.
“It is advantageous for us to host because it gives us a chance to know our strength both in infrastructure and competition. We are struggling in infrastructure and we want to test what is in Uganda and see if the world accepts it,” she noted.
The tournament that acts as a qualifier for the continental trophy has attracted participation from hosts Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia.
The Uganda team is already training at the Old Kampala Arena under Coach Ibrahim Kongo.
“The preparations started two weeks behind and since most of them have been active in school, it is just a matter of small adjustments. This project is good for us because we are looking at the next Olympics, and we are working with the underage,” noted Congo.
The Uganda U17 team is captained by Leticia Aketch, who believes that hard work, commitment and unity will help them emerge champions on home soil.
