Tanzania have dropped one place in the latest International Netball Federation (INF) world rankings released early this month.
They are now placed 17th. Newly crowned Six Nations champions Uganda have attained a world ranking for the first time and are at number 14.
In total, 36 countries are ranked. Nine other African countries have a world ranking. Malawi are ranked fifth and lead the African continent, followed by South Africa who are sixth.
Other ranked African countries are Tanzania (17), Papua New Guinea (18), Botswana (19) and Zambia (21), Zimbabwe (25), Namibia (27) and Lesotho (32).
Australia lead the rankings followed by New Zealand while England and Jamaica (143) are third and fourth respectively. At the Singapore competition, Uganda’s netballers made a maiden appearance outside Africa.
The last international for Uganda outside Africa was at the World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in 1979. Uganda netball Federation (UNF) treasurer Lucy Anno was overwhelmed by the news of the team’s rankings when contacted for the comment.
“It’s wonderful and it is a great achievement to the girls and now the challenge to us as the federation leaders is to source for resources so that we can participate in all other coming international events,” an excited Anno stated.
Tanzania, who lifted the Six Nations Cup with an unbeaten record in Singapore last year to be placed 16th on the world ranking, missed out on this year’s edition held from December 1-7 due to financial constraints.
The country has not taken part in any international competition since the incumbent Netball Association of Tanzania (CHANETA) leaders came to power in April, this year. The new leadership under chairperson Anna Kibira has done very little to show that they are keen to develop the game and maintain Tanzania’s excellent performance at the international scene.
CHANETA failed to send a team to the African Championship held in Blantyre, Malawi in June, claiming that they did not get an invitation in time.
Missing out on the tournament meant that the country lost points that would have strengthened its position on the world ranking and possibly qualify for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the 2015 World Netball Championship in Sydney, Australia.
Lack of seriousness on the part of CHANETA also led to Tanzania failing to take part in the East African Championship held in Nairobi, Kenya, this year. Filbert Bayi Foundation, JKT Mbweni and Jeshi Stars had qualified for the tournament but could not go to Nairobi.
Source Tanzania Daily News