Uganda team departs for Commonwealth Games in Australia

KAMPALA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of Uganda's athletes departed the country on Saturday for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The batch includes five boxers, 11 Netballers, two table tennis paddlers, two squash players, three badminton shuttlers and four weightlifters.

"We are ready to go and perform well and win medals," Bashir Nasir, one of the star boxers told Xinhua.

Team manager Bernard Ogwel said they are confident the team will surpass their perfromance at the last Games in Scotland, where they won five medals.

"This time round, the athletes have been facilitated early and we expect them to be better motivated to perform," he said.

Ruth Meme, one of the top players on Uganda's Netball team told Xinhua that since they won the 2017 African Champions, they are going to prove a point that they are also good enough to shine at the Commonwealth Games.

"We have prepared well and the three international games we played two weeks ago in Barbados have also helped us prepare well," added Meme.

Uganda will field a total of 69 athletes in netball, rugby, boxing, badminton, track and field, weightlifting, squash, swimming, table tennis, cycling and shooting.

The Commonwealth Games are held every four years to celebrate the common values shared among members of the commonwealth through sports. Uganda has featured at every edition since 1954.

At the last Commonwealth Games held in Glasglow, Scotland in 2014, Uganda won one gold medal through Moses Kipsiro in the men's 10,000m and four bronze. Enditem