She Cranes stars off to Malaysia for professional test

By Emmanuel Sekago

After that wonderful performance that Uganda national netball team (She Cranes) players displayed at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town South Africa, the Four players that were part of the team at the  World Cup have been invited for a netball program which will run from September 30th to November 15th 2023.

It should be noted that this month of August, one of the she cranes players also Kampala Capital city Authority (KCCA) netball club’s Hanisha Muhammand sealed her move to Vitality Netball Super league Club, Storm Surrey and she will feature for them in the 2023-2024 season.

The Four She cranes players who have traveled to Malaysia for the professional tests in the Malaysian Netball Super League that got invitation from the League’s reigning champion KL Wildcats Netball Club and Perak Phoenix Netball Club include; Uganda Prisons netball club goal shooter Christine Namulumba Kango, Weyonje Netball club Goal-Defender and Keeper Faridah Kadondi and two Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) netball players the three time best player of the match winner at the  world netball Cup and goal shooter/attacker  Shadia Nassanga Segujja and Goal defender and Keeper Shaffie Nalwanja.

Inside sources say, if all goes well, the four have a potential of having full professional contracts with the sides if personal terms and agreements favor both parties.

The Netball Super League, often referred to as NSL, is a professional netball league based in Malaysia. It was established by the Malaysian Netball Association and Astro Group’s subsidiary, Astro Arena, to develop and grow the sport in Malaysia.

The first season commenced on 19 March 2021 at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. The KL Wildcats were the inaugural champions, beating the Johor Jewels in the Grand Final.

Meanwhile, Netball became a popular women’s sport in Malaysia around the turn of the century following the nation’s success of hosting the first-ever netball competition as a medal event at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2001.

On the back of two consecutive gold medal performances at the SEA Games in 2017 and 2019,the Malaysian Netball Association decided to form the NSL in 2020, which was later delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a movement control order imposed by the Malaysian government.