Jamaica defeats Uganda in netball world cup

Liverpool, United Kingdom | THE INDEPENDENT |  The She Cranes have lost their second Group G game against Jamaica at the on-going Netball World Cup.

Jamaica’s Sunshine girls defeated the She Cranes 61:48 in the round of 12 teams.

The starting line-up shocked many spectators because Mary Nuba and Peace Proscovia were left on the bench.

The starting seven players were Stella Oyella in goal scoring and Rachael Nanyonga in goal attack, Ruth Meeme (Wing Attack), Jesca Achan(Centre), Sylvia Nanyonga (Wing Defender), Lilian Ajio (Goal Defender) and Muhayimina Namuwaya (Goal Keeper).

With a slow start in the first quarter and Uganda trailing four goals behind Jamaica, Oyella and Nanyonga continued into the second quarter in the same positions.

However, their shooting accuracy of 4/5 and 5/7 in the first quarter worsened in the second quarter.

Coupled with many balls lost in the midcourt and failure by Namuwaya and Ajio to block balls to Jhaniele Fowler, whose shooting accuracy was 11/11 goals in the first quarter, the crowd started demanding that Peace leaves the bench.

Despite an agitated call from spectators the coach Vincent Kiwanuka thought otherwise and left Stella Oyella and Rachael Nanyonga in goal attack and goal scorer positions until it became obvious that Oyella was not in shooting form.

In the post-match interview, Kiwanuka defended his decision saying that “We don’t have to do things because people are shouting.”

Though he praised the girls for a stray performance, Kiwanuka, however, admitted that there is need to improve on the intensity throughout the game.

Besides intensity, shooting accuracy was also wanting.

In the third quarter, Peace had a scoring accuracy of 16/16 against Nanyonga with 10/14.

This also resulted in Jamaica winning the third quarter with 51:34.

By the end of the last quarter, Jamaica had stretched the lead 61:48.

Uganda’s chances of securing 5th place in the World Cup will depend on whether the She Cranes beat Malawi on Friday and also whether Zimbabwe beat Jamaica.

Jamaica’s head coach, Harvette Anderson says that her team is aiming at finishing fifth. “5th place is the best we can get and so we will do our best.” 

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URN