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Cash-strapped Uganda pulls out of 2015 Africa Netball Cup

Xinhua, June 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lack of finances have forced Uganda to pull out of the 2015 Africa Netball Cup slated for June 27 to July 3 in Gaborone, Botswana, a senior sports official said here on Tuesday.

Susan Ongom, President of the Uganda Netball Federation, told Xinhua that she had hoped that the team would use the Africa Cup to prepare better for the World Cup, but government did not get the money to take the team for the tournament.

The Ugandan team returned from South Africa on Sunday where they won a bronze medal at the just concluded Diamond Challenge Cup which attracted all the four that will represent Africa at the World Cup.

Omara Apita, the Sports Commissioner in the Ministry of Education and Sports, confirmed to Xinhua that they did not budget for the Africa Netball Cup.

"We shall only cater for the team at the World Cup in Australia," he disclosed.

Apita explained that the little money budgeted for sports this financial year will have to trickle down to other disciplines as well.

"We have the 2015 All Africa Games which will take a lot of the money and part of the money has to go to other disciplines. So we shall only facilitate the netball team for the World Cup," he added.

The event was initially meant to take place in Namibia, but was changed to Botswana.

"It is unfortunate that we shall miss out on this event because it would have given our team more international exposure," Uganda coach Fred Mugerwa said.

In 2013 the Ugandan team finished third at the Africa Netball Cup. Endi