‘It’s a life-changing experience’ - Daren Ganga on Uganda’s maiden T20 World Cup win

Uganda’s rise as a cricketing nation is nothing short of a fairytale. The majority of their players have a daily job and play cricket only out of passion. They defeated renowned teams like Zimbabwe and Kenya to progress for the T20 World Cup 2024 and have already made a mark in the global tournament. On June 6, the Brian Masaba-led side defeated Papua New Guinea by three wickets and registered their maiden win in the history of the tournament. 

Former cricketer Daren Ganga understands the importance of the victory and stated that it’s a life-changing one for all the players. He added that the players are saving all their income from the tournament and are sending it back to their families itself tells what the win means to them. The 45-year-old mentioned that the money will uplift the status of all the players and will inspire other associate nation players to get better.

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“A special night for Ugandian cricket and their people. This will just elevate cricket in that in that country in East Africa. These players are players who are not paid as professional cricketers. They come from basic and humble backgrounds and some of them from impoverished backgrounds. I have heard in Guyana that some of these players are actually saving their per diems that they have on a daily basis and returning to their families back in Uganda,” Ganga said while speaking to ESPNcricinfo.

“When you talk about this win, producing $31,000 for this Ugandian team, you will see how this will resonate. Not only their ability to play more cricket and have the resources to do so but it will upstandard and uplift the life of these cricketers. There is a feeling of fulfillment when you see a like Uganda win and celebrate in such a manner. It’s a life-changing experience for all the players participating from these associate nations,” he added.

Uganda currently stand third in Group C, behind West Indies and Afghanistan. They have two more matches left in the competition - one against West Indies on June 8 and the last one against New Zealand on June 14.