A taxing second day, on Friday, at the 10th edition of the Africa Aquatics Zone III Swimming Championships at Kasarani Stadium Nairobi saw defending champions Uganda continue to show presence.
But hosts Kenya are not far off as they dominated the relays to show their balance in squad selection. Dark horses Tanzania dominated the 200m events but generally the second day was more taxing as swimmers had to catch up with the events, including the opening ceremony, that were cancelled on Day One following the death of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The president of Africa Aquatics Mohamed Diop – who swam at Kasarani at the Africa Games in 1987 – and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Salim Mvurya joined Zone III president Donald Rukare in opening the event.
In the pool, Uganda were initially hard done as a crucial examination coincided with their female star Tara Kisawuzi’s morning events.
17 and Over
Kisawuzi, the only girl in the 17 and Over age group, missed the 100m butterfly (one of her favourite events), 50m backstroke, and the 4x50m medley relay in the expanded 15 and Over age group.
Kisawuzi, however, returned to win Uganda gold in the 200m breaststroke (3:13.55), 100m backstroke (1:13.91), and 200m freestyle (2:21.15).
Pendo Kaumi brought home bronze in the senior boys’ 100m fly (1:00.63) while Kyle Kaweesa (1:03.36) was 6th in a very fast race won by Sudan’s Saleem Mohamed Ziyad (57.20) followed by Kenya’s Johari Masinde (59.63).
Malcolm Nahamya (30.43) lost a medal place to Burundi’s Flack Zacharie Harinzimana (30.05) by microseconds in the senior boys’ 50m back where Ziyad (27.90) and Tanzania’s Romeo-Mihaly Mwaipasi (29.36) dominated. Mathew Mwase was 5th in the 50m back (31.06) but 4th in the 100m (1:06.92) behind bronze medalist and teammate Kaumi (1:06.26), runner-up Mwaipasi (1:04.60), and winner Ziyad (58.64).
Kyle (2:41.89) and captain Ampaire Namanya (2:46.24) took the seniors’ 200m breaststroke gold and silver.
Kaumi went one better with silver in the 200m free (2:12.78) behind Kenya’s Nathan Matimu (2:04.07) while Jordan Munyikwa was 5th (2:16.79).
15-16 Years
Peyton Suubi got the 15-16 girls’ 100m fly (1:11.61) gold while Paloma Kirabo (1:17.36) was 4th as was Ethani Ssengooba (1:05.18) in the boys’ category. Isaiah Kuc (1:04.05) bagged boys’ silver behind Kenya’s Victor Okech who was out like a light to clock 1:00.31.
Rahmah Nakasule (34.41) bagged the girls’ 50m back bronze behind Tanzania’s Filbertha Demello (33.00) and Kenya’s Ruth Wangari Lindkvist (34.39) while Kirabo (36.28) was 5th behind Burundi’s Lois Eliora Irishura (34.86). The first trio finished the same way in the 100m back with times 1:12.96, 1:14.42, and 1:16.82 while Kirabo was 4th (1:18.66).
Peterson Inhensiko (30.23) was second in the boys’ 50m back behind Okech (29.97) while Ssengooba was 4th (32.40) also behind Kenyan Igbaal Bayusuf (30.53). Inhensiko (1:05.10) was still second in the 100m but this time behind teammate Shaun Murungi (1:03.55) and ahead of a familiar face on the Kenyan team Joshua Andriatsitohaina (1:06.05).
Peyton also took 200m breaststroke gold (2:59.12) while Alexis Akol crawled from 5th place to take bronze (3:23.33), with an impressive final lap, behind Tanzania’s Bridget Heep (3:06.23).
For the boys, Kenya’s Neo Olengo (2:35.32) took gold with the best team across all age groups as his teammate Jeremy Kogo (2:49.87) finished 3rd behind Uganda’s Daniel Rukundo (2:40.87) and ahead of Kuc (2:51.03).
A third gold on the day for Peyton came through the 200m free (2:20.47) as Nakasule settled for 7th (2:37.66).
Kuc got his first gold in the boys’ 200m free (2:10.59) while Rukundo (2:15.28) got bronze behind Okech (2:14.43).
13-14 Years
Tyrah Muganzi got Uganda her first gold of the day in the 13-14 girls’ 100m fly (1:10.58) while teammate Mackayla Ssali (1:14.06) got silver. For the boys’ Jonathan Kaweesa also bagged gold (1:03.10) while teammate Benjamin Ssali (1:04.97) also bagged bronze behind Kenya’s Andrew Ogola (1:04.25).
Tanzania Crissa Dillip (31.32), Nigeria’s Alfred Boluwatife (33.55), and Kenya’s Aariana Barchha (33.94) pushed Zara Mbanga (34.02) and Crystal Ssemanda (35.42) to 4th and 5th in the girls’ 50m backstroke. Mbanga (1:14.21) got between Dillip (1:10.82) and Barchha (1:14.89) in the 100m back while Muganzi was 4th (1:14.99).
Jonathan (31.41) was just micros behind Tanzanian winner Kaysan Kachra (31.31) in the boys’ 50m back as Manuel Ssemanda (35.90) finished 8th. Jonathan, however, avenged in the 100m back (1:09.09) pushing Kachra to second (1:10.81) just micros ahead of Uganda’s Jayson Aronda (1:10.95).
In the 200m breaststroke Dillip (2:55.24) combined with teammate Nicolene Viljoen (2:58.42) to push Mbanga (2:59.71) to bronze while Theresa Kikambi (3:10.45) finished 6th behind a Kenyan duo.
For the boys, Jayson Aronda (2:56.22) kept pace for 150m behind teammate Elijah Mukisa (2:58.66 for silver) and Tanzania’s Delbert Kenemo (2:59.37 for bronze) then changed pace in the last 50m to take gold.
Jonathan (2:13.70) bagged his third gold for the day in the 200m freestyle as Benjamin (2:19.14) settled for bronze behind Kenya’s Tevin Waweru (2:16.50) while Dillip and Viljoen again pushed Muganzi (2:29.41) and Kikambi (2:31.53) to 4th and 5th in the girls’ race.
12 and Under
Alba Ihunde (1:18.57) and Ashton Regina Suubi (1:19.97) got Uganda started off with the day’s medals bagging silver and bronze in the 12 and Under girls’ 100m fly behind Tanzania’s Leyna Borega (1:15.81). For the boys, Elijah Ayesiga got silver (1:09.95) behind Kenya’s Don Ndirangu (1:07.92) while Jordan Musoke (1:16.01) finished 4th behind another Kenyan AbdulKadir AbdulKadir (1:13.33).
Nisha Pearl Najjuma won the age category’s 200m backstroke on Thursday and returned on Friday to show she’s queen of the stroke with 35.07 and 1:18.65 gold in the 50m and 100m backstroke respectively. Jinan Nakato (37.13) was 4th in the 50m while her twin sister Jehan Babirye (1:22.94) was 5th in the 100m.
She also won the 200m breaststroke (3:07.59) while teammate Ihunde (3:11.13) was 4th.
Kristian Bwisho (33.67) and Raymond Ssali (34.39) took silver and bronze respectively in the young boys’ 50m back behind Ndirangu (32.47). But Bwisho (1:16.06) recovered to win the 100m one ahead of AbdulKadir (1:17.08) and Ugandan teammate Ayesiga (1:17.44)
Ndirangu, however, returned to be a pain in the 200m breaststroke taking gold (2:57.53) away from Ugandan duo Ayesiga (2:59.93) and Jeremiah Ssempijja (3:06.44) which settled for silver and bronze respectively.
Ayesiga finally found gold in the 200m free (2:25.28) as Musoke (2:29.01) bagged silver while for the girls, Ashton (2:36.83) and Nakato (2:37.45) got silver and bronze.
Relays
In the 14 and Under 4x50m medley relays, Uganda’s girls represented by Crystal Ssemanda, Mackayla, Muganzi, and Gabriella Opolot were second (2:16.41) behind Kenya (2:15.77) as were the boys – represented by Jonathan, Kigundu Ssango, Benjamin Ssali, and Manuel Ssemanda – who clocked 2:02.24 to finish just a touch behind the hosts on 2:02.16.
Uganda still finished behind Kenya in both the 15 and Over 4x50m medley relays in the girls’ and boys’ category. The girls (2:21.82) who missed Kisawuzi and were represented by Peyton, Nakasule, Mwere, and Kirabo were dominated by the hosts (2:10.14).
The boys who included Mwase, Ampaire, Kuc, and Inhensiko missed out on gold by almost two seconds clocking 1:54.74 compared to Kenya’s 1:52.85.
In the mixed freestyle relays, Kenya (1:51.22) just about edged Uganda’s team of Jonathan, Mbanga, Mackayla, and Benjamin (1:52.28) in the 14 and Under category first, then did the same (1:46.40 compared to 1:47.72) in the 15 and Over category where Uganda was represented by Mwase, Kirabo, Kisawuzi, and Kaumi.
In the mixed medley relay, Uganda (2:08.31) put in a good position by Jonathan doing backstroke and both Mbanga and Muganzi chasing boys in the breaststroke and fly legs respectively got gold in the 14 and Over category after Manuel’s excellent freestyle performance to anchor.
In the 15 and Over, Uganda represented by Nakasule, Kyle, Pendo, and Peyton (in that order) finished third (2:03.97) behind Kenya (1:59.10) and Tanzania (2:01.85).
Masters
In the women masters’ 50m backstroke, Patricia Ejalu got Uganda her only gold in the 50-54 age group. Resty Kiwuka won silver in the 25-29 age group while Sandra Arinaitwe bagged bronze in 30-34 ahead of teammates Olivier Nalwadda, Belinda Illamai, and Kezia Wairimu who finished 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively.
Rachael Amito got the 35-39 silver as did Abisagi Mugenyi Namugenze in the 40-44 group where Dorothy Ssemanda was 4th.
For the men, Yuda Morris Ssekamatte, Uganda Aquatics vice president Peter Mugisha, and Peter Ssebanakitta got gold in the 35-39, 55-59, and 60 and Over age groups respectively.
Ivan Muhoozi got bronze in the 25-29 group as did Habib Yawe in the 30-34 and Patrick Magezi in the 55-59. Ismail Munaaba was 4th in the 45-49 men.