Winning Can Become Part of Rugby Cranes Inning Is a Habit and the Rugby Cranes Are Doing Just That Lately
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60 NEW VISION, Monday, July 6, 2015 VISION SPORT Vision Sport OPINION BY JAMES LWANGA SENIOR SUB EDITOR Winning can become part of Rugby Cranes inning is a habit and the Rugby Cranes are doing just that lately. On WSunday at Kyadondo they run over Argentina was on the losing side against Chile in the Copa America final one year after Germany beat them in the World Cup final Ivory Coast in a Rugby Africa Cup 1B match with consummate ease. However the massive 40-11 win should not There is enough room for a soft landing fool you into thinking that Ivory Coast is a t was one of the But the irony of it all will poor team. Rather it is the quality of the Rugby sad points of an emerge with the number Cranes game which seems to be growing. Yes- otherwise great James Bakama: of government officials that terday’s victory comes on the back of the Elgon story that has had will accompany the team. Ithe She Cranes defy all I have reliable informa- Cup triumph against Kenya last month. Uganda odds to soar to the big I SAY SO tion that the non-playing had not won the Elgon Cup in two years and we stage. members of Uganda’s were looking awfully weak compared to Kenya. Reducing the team ing some of the most adverse delegation will outnumber But the Ugandans pursued victory doggedly that will travel to Australia conditions. the netballers! and the Elgon Cup was back in the Uganda for the Netball World Cup What some countries do in I would love to know what left many broken hearts. such situations is to ensure that role some of these officials Rugby Union trophy cabinet. Of the initial of 22 players, every team member makes the are going to play. Ask some of Against Ivory Coast yesterday, the Ugandan seven were dropped. trip. It does not cost Uganda them how many players make players had their work cut out and they were These seven just could not much to have an extra seven a netball team and you will be ready to rumble. If you have any doubts, ask the believe they were being dis- players booked in a hotel in shocked. carded. No wonder they broke Sydney. Just this idea of having It is that time when govern- Ivorians what they faced in Kevin Makmot who down in tears. them also travel, would make ment officials earn fat allow- went home after notching 15 points. Man of the They just could not believe them realise that they also ances. match Ronald Musajja, was in swashbuckling they were being dropped from matter. But what is wrong with that. form breaking up attacks and carrying the ball a cause for which they had We could draw some lessons Who would not want to have sacrificed almost everything. from our neighbours Kenya. fun in a city like Sydney? Is forward on top of scoring a try. Who would not cry after Harambee Stars were no- there a better way of taking a Next in the Cranes firing line is Mauritius as remembering those days when where close to qualifying for break from Kampala’s hustle we pursue a return to division 1A which will the team played on empty the last World Cup but to mo- and bustle? stomachs, without allowances rale boost the team, the Kenyan Asking for a dietician or entitle Uganda to rub shoulders with teams like and medical care? government had them attend psychologist on Team Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Kenya. True, a tough decision had to the Brazil tournament. might be demanding too much. Promotion to division 1A comes with financial be taken. The rules were clear Of course our authorities But isn’t it time we got to know reward and increased interaction with better op- from the start. Each of the 16 will say it is too expensive to who will take up the doctor Sydney bound countries had to send even an extra player to and physiotherapist roles? ponents which can help Uganda draw lessons be represented by 15 players. Australia. As some of these officials are to improve our game. But I am one of those who That seems to make sense having fun on the beaches of To the Cranes, do not take the foot off the feel that there should be a way especially going by the budget- Sydney, I am sure the dropped pedal, beating Ivory Coast was just the begin- of rewarding the seven players ary constraints that National players will be regretting the who did not make the cut. Council of Sports General Sec- day they took up netball. ning of what could turn out to be a massive These players have been part retary Jasper Aligawea recently It is not too late to have a year for Uganda. of the qualification battle brav- brought to my attention. change of heart. YOUR LETTERS Send your correspondence to: The Letters Editor, The New Vision, P.O. Box 9815, Kampala; or sports@ newvision.co.ug; or deliver directly to the newspaper’s headquarters on Plot 19/21 First Street, Industrial Area, Kampala UBF must do better Well done KCCA EDITOR - Allow me make a humble appeal to the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) execu- for backing sport tive to improve the management of this glori- ous sport. I am an ardent boxing supporter EDITOR - I want to applaud KCCA for the who has invested part of my meagre resources continued support they have rendered to in this sport. As a club member, I am not sports. There are so many organisations in happy with the way the local federation is run- this country that can’t even fund any team ning the sport. Since the new executive was but if KCCA as an institution can come out elected, the UBF leadership has failed to elect to fund their teams in football, basketball working committees like the technical commis- and netball among others, I really think they The year was 2003....Ugandan athletes at the All Africa Games sion and the coaches commission. Instead, the deserve to be appreciated. It is not easy for executive prefers appointed people in these an organisation or an institution to invest in From the Past posts. This is an abrogation of the UBF consti- something that will not directly generate tution. UBF can do better than this. income for them. Major General James Kazini (RIP) interacts Games in Abuja, Nigeria. Kazini had travelled Sande Mugisha Gregory Begumisa with Uganda athletes during the All Africa to Nigeria for a senior officers’ military course. MUKONO KAMPALA.