Uganda won the 10th edition of the Africa Aquatics Zone III Championships held October 16-19 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Uganda had dominant performances, especially from captain Peyton Suubi in the 15-16 girls’ age group and the open 15 and Over long distance events, Tara Kisawuzi in the girls’ 17 and Over age group, Nisha Pearl Najjuma among the 12 and Under girls, and Jonathan Kaweesa among the 13-14 boys.
Credit to those four as they won most of the races they were involved in with aplomb. But here are some of the edge of the seat races Uganda was involved in and a few surprise wins.
50m and 100m freestyle
Ethani Ssengooba saved the best of last to win his only gold medal of the competition in the 15-16 boys’ 50m freestyle on Day Four. Thank God there were touch pads as it was unclear for the human eyes to determine who touched first between him and Kenya’s Victor Okech.
The results returned with Ssengooba having edged the photo finish race by a microsecond at 25.24 seconds. Okech had a day earlier, agonizingly edged Ssengooba by four microseconds to win the 100m freestyle (56.14).
Speaking agony, Daniel Rukundo also marginally lost the age group’s 100m breast gold by six microseconds to Kenya’s Neo Olengo (1:10.42).
Before Ssengooba’s 50m free revenge, Rahmah Nakasule had also edged the girls in the same age group (28.61). After that, Mathew Mwase also got his only individual medal (bronze) by clocking 25.28 in the 17 and Over boys’ 50m free – a race that was jointly won by Kenya’s Swaleh Talib and Burundi’s Flack Zacharie Harinzimana (24.92).
For Jinan Nakato, 12, the 100m freestyle was probably that big race. She had been involved in a few 12 and Under girls’ races to bring points on board for the team but her mentality to keep patient and deliver gold in her dominant stroke (1:06.06 – 23 microseconds ahead of Tanzania’s Heydleen Magashi) on Day Three was classy. She also won the 50m free (29.16).
200m and 100m backstroke
Giovanni Cruz Mbanga handed Uganda early delight with 12 and Under boys’ 200m backstroke gold (2:46.85). he was certainly no favourite but he edged Kenya’s Abdulkadir Abdulkadir by just over eight microseconds.
Shaun Kairumba Murungi added to that with the 15-16 boys’ gold (2:24.00). Murungi made it a 100 percent gold performance for him in the competition when he won the 100m back too in 1:05.66 just ahead of teammate Peterson Inhensiko (1:06.05).
Generally, the 100m back was a better show for Uganda after being dominated in the 50m back, where only Najjuma got gold.
Kristian Bwisho won the 12 and Under boys’ 100m back (1:16.06) while Kisawuzi also faced her first real 17 and Over girls’ competition in this race winning it with a personal best (1:13.91). Kisawuzi went into this one on the back of finishing second in the 50m breaststroke and missing the 50m back and 100m butterfly races due to exams. Her first race had also been the 200m backstroke and gold was guaranteed as she was alone just as the 200m breaststroke medal was guaranteed with just three participants.
50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke
The 17 and Over boys’ breaststroke events became a national competition between Kyle Kaweesa and his captain Namanya Ampaire.
The former topped the 50m first in 31.04 seconds as Ampaire clocked 32.08 to finish ahead of the Burundians Nicky Terry Irakoze and Tony Lilia Uwineza, who tied in 3rd at 33.77.
Kyle doubled his money in the 200m (2:41.89) just over seconds ahead of Ampaire but this time, Uwineza (2:52.50) beat Irakoze (2:52.85). But a more intriguing race happened in the 13-14 age group where Jayson Aronda kept pace behind teammate Elijah Mukisa for 150m before going ahead to win it in 2:56.22. Mukisa had to hold and push harder than he had anticipated to retain silver (2:58.66) as Tanzania’s Delbert Kenemo (2:59.37) tried to cause a late upset.
200m, 50m fly
The Tanzanian’s got one over Mukisa as Max Missokia pushed him to 3rd in the 200m fly but Uganda still had Benjamin Ssali (2:38.51) come top for his lone gold.
If the cheers that greeted that gold and bronze were not loud enough, then you can consider those that welcomed Pendo Kaumi’s bronze in the senior boys’ 200m fly.
Kaumi had decided to take it easy as he had just competed in the 100m free and was due to take one for the team in the 4x100m free relay. But as he went for the final 50m, in a race where Tanzania’s Romeo-Mihaly Mwaipasi (2:30.79) and Lilia (2:34.82) were comfortably in the lead, Kaumi realized the former’s teammate Michael Joseph was within reach. The Ugandan swimmer changed pace in the final 25m to clinch bronze (2:43.57) as Joseph laboured to 4th three seconds later.
Tyrah Muganzi was dominant in the 13-14 girls’ 200m and 100m fly but there was a lot more pressure ahead of the 50m. Fly is her race but by the time she went for this one, Tanzania’s Crissa Dillip had not lost a race in two days. With almost the entire arena on its feet, Muganzi led from the start to clock 30.21 as Dillip settled for silver (31.53).
Rahmah Nakasule topped the 15-16 girls (30.11) to declare the 50m fly her best event of the competition. Most had tipped Suubi to take it but she was fatigued from the 400m free and even missed the podium.
200m free and 200m IM free
Highly rated 12 year old Elijah Ayesiga got his first gold in the 200m freestyle (2:25.28) and was followed by teammate Jordan Musoke (2:29.01). The 200m free also gave Isaiah Kuc his lone gold (2:10.59) in the 15-16 boys’ age group.
Ayesiga doubled his gold in the 200m individual medley (IM) finishing way ahead of his age group’s grid in 2:40.62.
But it was the 13-14 boys’ age group 200m IM that served even more thrills as Jonathan paced behind Mukisa for about 150m before taking charge of the race to win gold in (2:30.56). Mukisa needed to hold off Tanzania’s Max Missokia (2:34.42) to win silver (2:34.13).
Few took interest in Ssengooba’s IM as he raced in the first of two heats. But he was clearly chasing the clock. And the interest in the race waned further when Rukundo did not line up due to a troublesome shoulder. Eventually, Kenya’s Neo Olengo (2:25.23) and Sudan’s Ahmed Yacub Adam (2:29.81) ended up clear winners in the final heat but Ssengooba had earlier done well enough to take bronze (2:32.15).
Meanwhile in the 17 and Over boys’ 200m IM, Sudan’s Mohamed Saleem Ziyad seemed a clear winner swimming under 2:20.00. But the results returned with him disqualified for a stroke infraction in the breaststroke leg. So, Uganda’s Malcolm Nahamya (2:28.13) took the gold just seven microseconds ahead of Uwineza while Kyle moved up to the bronze (2:29.57) position.
Relays
Kenya dominated most of the relays but Uganda recollected to win a few. The mixed 4x50m medley relay in the 14 and Under category saw Jonathan start the team off in the backstroke leg, Zara Mbanga made the breaststroke leg count and Muganzi’s butterfly split set Manuel Ssemanda up nicely to bring the gold in a combined time of 2:08.31.
Uganda got more 14 and Under delight when the girls won the 4x100m relay. Mackayla Ssali and Crystal Ssemanda got Uganda started off with a clear lead. Theresa Kikambi did well to ensure Uganda did not slip off and Zara completed the job.
Kenya were headed for a clear lead in the 15 and Over girls’ 4x100m free relay when their third swimmer slipped off the blocks and fell in the pool before the second swimmer could finish her 100m. Fortunately, there was no accident. But Uganda, represented by Kisawuzi, Nakasule, Peyton, and Paloma Kirabo fully capitalized to take gold in 4:25.59.