Sports: Baby Victoria Pearls depart for U19 World Cup qualif

Uganda’s women’s Under-19 cricket team, the Baby Victoria Pearls, will travel to Tanzania for the 2027 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier. The tournament runs from August 28 to September 6 at the Tanzania Cricket Arena, within the University of Dar es Salaam. The 2027 U19 World Cup itself will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh and Nepal. Uganda’s squad includes 14 players and two reserves, departing via Uganda Airlines on Friday at 10:00 PM. Head Coach Brian Masaba—an ex-national player—will be supported by Ivan Kakande, while Cricket Uganda CEO Evelyn Shinyekwa leads the delegation. The eight-team qualifier is split into two groups: Uganda is in Group A with hosts Tanzania, Nigeria, and Malawi, while Group B includes Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya, and Rwanda. Uganda opens against Nigeria on Sunday, plays Tanzania on Monday afternoon, and finishes group play versus Malawi on Wednesday morning.