Uganda netballers warned not to 'disappear' at World Cup

Uganda's netball team have been warned against disappearing in Australia when they travel to Sydney to compete in the world cup later this year. Photo / Thinkstock.

Uganda's netball team have been warned against disappearing in Australia when they travel to Sydney to compete in the world cup later this year.

The team called the She Cranes qualified to participate in the netball world cup in Australia in August.

During a ceremony to mark the country's liberation day on Monday, each player was given a national medal along with 300 others in honour of various achievements.

"Do not disappear in Australia when you go to participate in the world netball cup. There are some boys who went there to represent Uganda in a cricket competition, but later vanished and never came back to Uganda," said veteran sports administrator Rogers Okello immediately after the netball players had received their medals.

Two cricketers disappeared from a Ugandan team which had gone to play in Australia in 2007.

Raymond Otim and Faruk Ochimi, two of Uganda's "Cricket Cranes", disappeared after an ICC World Cup qualifying tournament concluded in late January 2007.

Okello said disappearance of sportspeople in countries where they go to represent Uganda gives a bad image to the country.

He said two Ugandan national cricket team players also vanished in New Zealand and requested asylum.

In 2009, seven of the Under-19 Uganda side at the World Cup qualifiers disappeared in Canada where they had gone to play.

He called on the She Cranes team mangers to ensure all players who go to Australia return to Uganda.

-AAP