Cricket Uganda continued its push to grow the women’s game across the country by engaging more than 200 female students at Mt. St. Henry’s High School in Mukono during this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket Week celebrations.
The event, held on June 17, brought together students, national team players and cricket administrators for an afternoon of coaching clinics, mentorship and interactive games aimed at introducing more young women to the sport.
Building on the success of last year’s Women’s Cricket Week activities at Gayaza High School, Cricket Uganda used this year’s celebration to extend its reach into another school community as part of its long-term grassroots development strategy.
Students took part in introductory sessions covering batting, bowling and fielding, while members of the Uganda national women’s cricket team, the Victoria Pearls, led practical demonstrations and shared their experiences of progressing from school sport to representing the country on the international stage.
Cricket Uganda Honorary Secretary Denis Musali said expanding into schools remained central to the organisation’s plans for sustainable growth.
“Expanding our footprint into schools like Mt. St. Henry’s Mukono is the cornerstone of our long-term growth strategy,” Musali said.
“Women’s Cricket Week gives us a global platform to showcase the local momentum we are building. By investing heavily in these regional activations, we are not just teaching a game; we are building sustainable structures that will support the sport for decades to come.”
The presence of the Victoria Pearls gave students an opportunity to interact directly with national team players, turning elite athletes into accessible role models for aspiring cricketers.
Victoria Pearls captain Janet Mbabazi said the players were eager to inspire the next generation.
“As Victoria Pearls, we are happy to come out and share knowledge and to let the girls know that there is a women’s cricket team out there,” Mbabazi said.
“We’ve been able to share our skills and introduce the sport to this school. I will be grateful for some of the girls to make it to the Victoria Pearls team because it means I left a mark.”
This year’s Women’s Cricket Week coincides with the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, a connection Cricket Uganda believes can help inspire more girls to take up the sport.
Cricket Uganda Women’s Representative on the board, Lelia Namaganda Ondeko, said linking local development activities with a major global tournament highlighted the opportunities available to young female cricketers.
“Aligning our local development with the global T20 World Cup creates a powerful narrative,” Ondeko said.
“It shows these young women that they are part of a massive, supportive global community, and it highlights our ongoing administrative push to ensure equity and resources for women’s cricket at every single level of the game.”
Cricket Uganda Development Manager Davis Turinawe said the turnout demonstrated growing interest in cricket among young girls and pledged continued support for the school.
“Our development team focused heavily on making today’s clinics highly interactive and accessible using foundational frameworks. Bringing over 200 girls onto the field in a single afternoon shows the massive hunger for the sport. Our next step is to ensure Mt. St. Henry’s Mukono has the equipment and ongoing technical support to keep this momentum alive,” he said.
Mt. St. Henry’s High School head teacher Nakalembe Teopista welcomed the initiative and said it would help strengthen the school’s cricket programme.
“I am so happy today to have hosted the Victoria Pearls for the ICC Women’s Cricket Week,” Teopista said.
“I would like to appreciate ICC and Cricket Uganda for choosing Mt. St. Henry’s and for keeping our children interested in the game of cricket. In the academic arena, sports are given a special place, more so the girl child.
“The four points given at the university are not a few points; they are enough to place us somewhere. Today we have started, and I know we shall grow the game here at Mt. St. Henry’s.”
The school already has a growing cricket tradition, having reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Sky View Girls’ Schools Cricket Week in Gulu before losing to eventual champions Light Secondary School.
By taking Women’s Cricket Week directly to schools and pairing students with national team stars, Cricket Uganda hopes to create a stronger pathway for young girls to progress from grassroots participation to international cricket.
