Cricket has done more than just bowl and bat for Janet Mbabazi and Kevin Awino — it’s flipped the script on what’s possible for girls in Ugandan sport.
Janet Mbabazi’s journey started with a simple swing of the bat in primary school.
Back then, there were no clear pathways, barely any tournaments, and little support. But what she lacked in facilities, she made up for in vision.
Inspired by her sisters who never got the chance to go far with the game, Janet committed to carving her own path. Now, she’s a national team star, captain of Soroti Academy and Victoria Pals, and one of the most influential voices in women’s cricket.
Speaking on NBS Sport’s Women in Sport show, Janet shared how she once juggled softball, football, and cricket before choosing the latter.
“I chose cricket because it was still a virgin land. It had few players but so many great opportunities. I knew if I gave it my all, I could make it,” she said.
In the early days, she and her peers played only once a year due to poor infrastructure.
Still, she pushed on — and in 2017, she helped Uganda win a major qualification tournament in Namibia as assistant captain, a breakthrough moment that cemented her place in the country’s cricket history.
Her teammate, Kevin Awino, took a different route but ended up just as influential.
A wicketkeeper with nerves of steel, Kevin first fell in love with cricket in secondary school at Jinja S.S. Her interest? Sparked by nothing more than sodas and biscuits offered by cricket promoters.
But once the hook was in, she didn’t let go. From humble beginnings in the Jinja Cricket Association, she climbed through the ranks and broke into the national team in 2019.
Catch Janet and Kevin share their full story this Sunday at 7 pm on Women in Sport, only on NBS Sport.
