Mary Nuba Cholhok has joined the She Cranes side, Uganda’s senior netball team, preparing for Commonwealth Games.

The Goal Shooter who plays for Loughborough Lightening in England, trained with the team for the first time on Wednesday at Kamwokya.

“I am really excited to be joining the Girls and we want to keep on challenging ourselves as we go out there,” Nuba said.

“We want to have fun, this will be my first time to play at Commonwealth Games and I am looking forward to seeing what awaits for me and enjoy the game.”

Nuba scored 633 goals in 15 games for Loughborough Lightening who were later beaten by Manchester Thunder in Netball Superleague Finals. Her tally, was the fifth best in the season.

And she will be a vital cog as Uganda look to defy odds in Birmingham.

“Everyone is looking firm on the ground, we want to keep challenging ourselves because it will not be easy out there, we need to ask ourselves more and more.

“We don’t want to promise a lot, it’s seven players against seven, it has to be about team work. We just want to have fun.”

Nuba Challenges Concerned Officials

Nuba says that Uganda can become a global powerhouse in Netball if all is put in order.

“Netball is a fast growing sport, but we are still lacking as a country unlike in other Countries like United Kingdom,” she stated.

“We need a couple of things including a Strength and Conditioning coach, we need an indoor court and that can help us reduce the injuries. We will be in an indoor court for just three weeks to the tournament and it’s not enough.

“We have a lot of good people who know what they are doing, but we don’t have what I can call the analysts – we haven’t reached that level of analysing other teams, sometimes they opponents get us by surprise and then we just learn from our mistakes.

“That shouldn’t be the case, we need to prepare very well. Every training session must be for a particular targeted team, like this is how we win their defense, this is how we attack South Africa, thank kind of planning.

“But the rest is good to go, that I must add.”

She Cranes Seek To Impress

Only Peace Procsovia of the summoned team is yet to arrive.

The UK based star who plays for Surrey was the League’s top scorer with 853 goals and was named in the team of the season.

But her arrivals remains a doubt due to reported passport issues and may join the team either late or in Birmingham.

The team will have another up-country tour, this time heading to Arua this weekend.

They will enter residential camp next Month, probably in Nakirebe awaiting official communication.

Netball at the 2022 Commonwealth Games will begin on Thursday, July 28 and ends on
Monday, August 8.

It will be played at the National Exhibition Centre.

Uganda is grouped in Pool B and will be hoping to finish among the top two to qualify for the semifinals.

Uganda’s Games in Group B

July 30: New Zealand
July 31: Trinidad and Tobago
August 2: England
August 3: Northern Ireland
August 4: Malawi