Netball body to spend more on friendlies than World Cup

Kampala. Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) will spend Shs1.6b of this year’s budget worth Shs3b on international friendly games a far bigger sum than what they intend to spend on the Netball World Cup due July 12-21 in Liverpool, England.
This was one of the declarations that stirred controversy at the annual general assembly at Kati Kati Restaurant on Saturday.
According to the budget, the She Cranes will travel to Malawi, Jamaica and Australia and each trip will cost Shs 547m.
However, delegates found this amount unrealistic as they wondered how a trip to Malawi can cost the same as that to Jamaica and Australia.
More so, the budget also reveals that the team’s World Cup budget is only Shs470m but also sets aside Shs142m for transporting ministry officials yet in reality they are supposed to cater for their transport.
“This budget needs to be revised because it is so unrealistic, apart from government funding, we do not see any other source of income yet this money is too much,” said Dennis Mpoza, a delegate from Kampala.
Wilberforce Mutete, the federation spokesperson, had earlier told this paper that Malawi and South Africa will travel to Uganda for friendlies and the only costs the country will incur will be accommodating and transporting them to the venue of the games.
Delegates were at first saddened by loopholes in last year’s financial report which they suspended citing it did not bear the auditor’s signature.
However, they managed to listen to this year’s budget just to favour the She Cranes team that started preparation for the World Cup last week.

WORLD CUP BUDGET
Non Residential training - Sha43m
Residential Training - Shs304m
Training equipment - Shs8m
Team kits - Shs111m
Staff - Shsh39m
Build up games - Shs1.6b
World Cup - Shs470m
Ministry officials - Shs142m