Hockey Cranes’ fitness issues highlighted by Raskara after finishing fourth at Olympic Qualifier 

Uganda men’s national hockey team, Hockey Cranes finished fourth in the Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifier in Pretoria, South Africa after losing 7-1 to Ghana in the bronze medal match on Sunday.

A hat-trick by Francis Tettey earned Ghana an easy win over the Hockey Cranes. Benjamin Kwofie, Johnny Botsio, Baiden Michael and Ernest Opoku also scored for the Ghanaian side while Colline Batusa scored Uganda’s consolation.

After a disappointing end to the tournament, Hockey Cranes coach Innocent Raskara pointed to the players’ fitness levels as a key factor behind their struggles on the turf.

In a post-game interview on Sunday, Raskara stated that the team’s lack of fitness was evident throughout the tournament and had a direct impact on their ability to perform at their best.

“We have not been as fit as the opponents that we have been playing and that’s a big lesson for us,” Raskara said adding that; “the players have been good skill-wise but when it came to fitness levels, the other players could run faster than us, they could open up the field more faster than us and that’s how we lost the games.”

While the coach’s comments may come as a disappointment to fans and supporters of the team, they demonstrate a commitment to improving performance and addressing issues head-on. With renewed focus on fitness and training, the team will no doubt be looking to bounce back in their next tournament and prove their detractors wrong.

“We are hopeful that in the next tournament the players will have their fitness levels worked on early enough and that’s what we’re going to concentrate,” Raskara added.

The team will now return home to regroup and plan for the future, with hockey faithful hoping that the national side will bounce back stronger and more determined than ever before.

Meanwhile, South African sides will represent Africa at next year’s Olympics after their women’s team eased past Nigeria with a 9-0 win while their men’s side condemned Egypt to a 2-1 defeat.