At least 280 participants gathered at the Lakeside Oval on Friday for a vibrant grassroots cricket activation under the Cricket Uganda (CU) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) development programme ICC Cricket for Good – Women in Leadership, locally codenamed Pearl Power.
The initiative brought together young girls aged 13–16 from four Entebbe schools to learn the fundamentals of Criio cricket while interacting with elite players participating in the ICC Under‑19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division II Qualifier.
The participating schools included Entebbe Air Force Secondary School, Entebbe Secondary School, Entebbe Parents Secondary School, and Comprehensive Secondary School.
Coaches and players from Uganda’s national women’s cricket team, the Victoria Pearls, together with international players and coaches from Under-19 teams of Malawi, Sierra Leone, Kenya, and Mozambique, helped conduct the sessions.
Cricket Uganda Development Manager Davis Turinawe explained that the activity aimed to introduce girls to the game while nurturing potential future stars.
“We are trying to introduce the game to these girls by going through the basics. We are lucky to have received assistance from the Victoria Pearls, who are all Level One coaches. These are the kinds of skills that help instil confidence in players at a young age, and hopefully their stars will be aligned,” Turinawe said.
Regional Development Officer for Kampala Metropolitan, Entebbe & Wakiso District Michael Grace Ndiko noted that the programme combines sport with leadership development.
“Today’s activity focused on women in leadership while giving young girls an opportunity to experience cricket under the ICC Cricket for Good initiative. The intention is to expose girls aged 13 to 16 to cricket and help them envision themselves as future leaders.”
“We have already identified a few girls with promising talent and will follow up with them through our coaching hubs.”
The event also received support from Shuya Pads, helping ensure participants experienced the game safely and professionally.
Cricket Uganda Women’s Representative on the Board, Mrs Lelia Namaganda Ondeko, said the activation aligns with global efforts to grow women’s participation in the sport.
“March is the month of women, and we felt it was important to bring young girls to this event. It is a fun way of introducing the game while also increasing the number of girls taking up cricket in line with ICC development goals,” she said.
Victoria Pearls player Phiona Egaru Kulume added, “Personally, I’m very excited to be here. The young girls have had fun, and hopefully they have learnt something. It’s nice to show them what cricket is all about and maybe inspire future national team players.”
Students also embraced the experience enthusiastically. Participant Daisy Cathy Nakyeese said the event helped her meet new friends while enjoying the game.
“Playing cricket today has been fun. We have met girls from different schools and made new friends. Cricket is also a funny and exciting game. Many school-going children will surely take up the sport,” she said.
The Pearl Power initiative forms part of Cricket Uganda’s broader grassroots strategy aimed at strengthening the pathway for young female cricketers from schools to national teams.