Uganda’s preparations for the Olympics have gotten finer by the years, ever since Stephen Kiprotich delivered marathon gold at the London 2012 Games.
For the roadmap to the Los Angeles 2028 Games, Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC), National Council of Sports (NCS) and federations are keen on raising numbers.
The route to LA28 on the west coast of the USA, hopes to take more than four disciplines, and the platforms to use for preparations include the Islamic Solidarity Games which get underway this weekend in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
UOC earmarked the Riyadh Games to fine-tune athletes, some of whom will be tasked to push for glory at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland next July.Inevitably, NCS assistant general secretary-technical Milton Chebet last week flagged off a sizable team to compete in Riyadh at the November 7-21 showpiece.
A team of 39 competitors across seven disciplines will feature.
‘The team is big as compared to the championship before,’ remarked Team Uganda chef de mission Sadiq Nassiwu. He will be deputized by NCS’s Muhammed Baale Waladde.
‘I think this is the second biggest team, next to the Konya Games (in 2022 in Turkiye). Clearly, showing that the interest and competition in these Games is evident,’ said the UOC treasurer Nassiwu.’I want to thank NCS and the government for financing this team. I am happy we are able to present 39 athletes to the Games.
That’s a big number according to us as a country,’ said UOC treasurer and Uganda Athletics (UAt) secretary general Beatrice Ayikoru.
‘When we started preparations for the Games, we had 15 sports. We now have seven.”It is always our job as government to see the young people going to represent Uganda,’ said Chebet, ‘I know you represent millions of people out there. I also know there are many left behind.
‘Boxers were the first to arrive in Riyadh on Monday and they include Alfred Ojok, Jimmy Adriko, Angel Katushabe and Fatuma Nabikolo.But, athletics makes the biggest composition, of 17 athletes including the captain Godfrey Chan-wengo, Abel Chebet who won the 10000 metres champion in Konya and 800 metres silver medalist Halimah Nakaayi from 2017 in Baku, Azerbaijan.Aquatics has four competitors featuring two Olympians in Gloria Muzito and Jesse Ssengonzi.
‘This is a big team and we expect to come with many medals out of these competitions. It has become a qualifier for other events (Commonwealth Games and Olympics),’ added Nassiwu.
‘Any competition in athletics links to another, provides a pathway for individual development and other major competitions including continental and World Athletics Championships and Games such as Commonwealth which builds into 2027 World Athletics championship and by extension to Cairo 2027 and LA28.
Next year we have the Accra Senior Championships in July 2026. Riyadh will offer opportunities to hit the standards,’ explained Ayikoru.
Uganda will feature in other disciplines like para powerlifting with Dennis Mbaziira as the sole competitor and table tennis has six entries.
There four are weightlifters most notably Davis Niyoyita, who won silver in the men’s 55 kg clean and jerk event at the African Games in Accra, Ghana last year.Wrestling will have the trio of Veronica Ayo, Rebecca Israel Amongi and Rodger Mukyeda.
TEAM UGANDA TO ISLAMIC SOLIDARITY GAMES
AQUATICS: Gloria Muzito (100m and 50m freestyle 4×100 mixed freestyle relay), Jesse Ssengonzi Ssuubi (50m butterfly mixed 4x100m freestyle relay), Tendo Mukalazi (50m freestyle, 100m freestyle mixed 4x100m freestyle relay), Tara Ann Mary Kisawuzi Naluwoza (50m backstroke, 50m butterfly, 100m and 50m freestyle, 4×100 mixed freestyle relay)
ATHLETICS: Shida Leni, Malvine Akwenyi and Maureen Akiiki Banura (all 400m and 4x400m Relay), Halimah Nakaayi (800m and 4x400m Relay), Knight Aciru (1500m), Charity Cherop (5000m), Risper Cherop (5000m), Annet Chemengich Chelangat (10,000m), Rebecca Chelengat (10000m), Josephine Lalam (Javelin), Godfrey Chan-wengo, Haron Adoli, Kenneth Omuka (all 400m and 4x400m Relay), Tom Dradiga (800m, 4x400m Relay), Leonard Chemutai (3000m Steeplechase), Samuel Simba Cherop (5000m), Abel Chebet (10000m)
BOXING: Alfred Ojok (80kg), Jimmy Adriko (60kg), Angel Katushabe (51kg), Fatuma Nabikolo (57kg)
PARA POWERLIFTING: Dennis Mbaziira
TABLE TENNIS: Jemimah Nakawala, Judith Mirembe, Judith Parvin Nangonzi, Joseph Sebatindira, Joshua Magaya, Jonathan Senyonga
WEIGHTLIFTING: Aisha Namataka (86kg), Steven Ojede (94kg), Figo Faluku Kyambadde (65kg), Davis Niyoyita (60kg)
WRESTLING: Veronica Ayo (57kg), Rebecca Israel Amongi (62kg), Rodger Mukyeda (74kg)
MAIN OFFICIALS: Zaid Sadik Nasiwu (Chef de mission), Muhammed Baale Waladde (Deputy CDM), Jonathan Wangolo (Administrative Personnel), Ivan Mugowa (Administrative Personnel), Priscilah Ondoga (Physiotherapist), Leonard Francis Were (Team Doctor), David Isabirye (Team Media Attache), Miriam Mirembe Nalubega (Physiotherapist)
UGANDA’S MEDALS AT THE ISG
2005 Mecca: Boniface Kiprop (10000 Metres Bronze)
2017 Baku: Halimah Nakaayi (800 Metres Silver)
2021 Konya: Abel Chebet (5000 Metres Silver and 10000 Metres Gold), Kirabo Namutebi (50 Metres Freestyle Silver), Husnah Kukundakwe (100 Metres Breaststroke SB4-SB9 Gold, 200 Metres Individual Medley SM5-SM10 Gold, 50 Metres Freestyle S4-S10, 400 Metres Freestyle S6-S10 Silver, 100 Metres Backstroke S6-S10 Silver, 100 Metres Freestyle S4-S10 Bronze)