By Daniel Nyeko
Uganda’s men’s national netball team, The Rock, made their maiden appearance at the second edition of the Africa Men’s Netball Cup, finishing the tournament in fifth place.
The Africa Men’s Netball Cup was introduced in 2023 by Africa Netball in partnership with World Netball to promote inclusivity and challenge long-held perceptions of the sport. The initiative also aligns with netball’s broader ambition of gaining Olympic inclusion by 2032.
In 2023, Africa Netball President Cecilia Molokwane wrote to then Uganda Netball Federation President Hon. Sarah Babirye Kityo, granting Uganda the rights to host the 11th edition of the Africa Netball Cup and the inaugural Africa Men’s Netball Cup.
However, the National Council for Sports later revoked the Uganda Netball Federation’s certificate of recognition, leading to Uganda losing the hosting rights to Botswana.
On Sunday, December 14, at the Griffins Saenda Sports Complex in Lilongwe, The Rock defeated Botswana 45-31 in the fifth and sixth place classification match to seal fifth place overall.
Botswana started brightly, taking a 12-9 lead in the opening quarter. Uganda responded well, and by halftime the scores were level at 19-19.
The turning point came in the third quarter, where The Rock capitalized on Botswana’s defensive errors and turnovers. Uganda poured in 13 goals while restricting Botswana to just four, opening up a commanding 32-23 lead.
The Rock maintained their intensity in the final quarter, delivering an aggressive and composed performance marked by precise shooting. They outscored Botswana 13-8 to comfortably see out the win.
Across the tournament, The Rock displayed natural athleticism and a strong fighting spirit, underlining their potential to compete at both continental and international levels. Netball Uganda can build on this progress to raise the profile of the men’s game alongside the women’s program.
Uganda results:
Uganda The Rock 40-39 Botswana
Zimbabwe Golden Flyers 37-33 Uganda The Rock
Uganda The Rock 41-48 South Africa Puma Proteas
Uganda The Rock 45-31 Botswana
