$5,000 for London gold medal

Oct 15, 2011

ANY Ugandan athletes to represent that country at the London Olympics next July has a reason to work for a gold medal because it will come with $5,000 (sh14m).

By Norman Katende

ANY Ugandan athletes to represent that country at the London Olympics next July has a reason to work for a gold medal because it will come with $5,000 (sh14m).

As preparations for the Games gear up Uganda Olympic Committee president Rogers Ddungu has staked the money for each gold medal.

Ddungu announced the stake at a function to award the different athletes, who won medals at both the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique and the Commonwealth Youth Games in Isle of Man in September in offices in Lugogo.  

All Africa Games medalists shared sh7m among themselves. The gold medalists at the All Africa Games got sh1m each, sh500, 000 for silver medal while bronze medalists got sh250, 000 each.

For the Commonwealth Youth Games, the gold medalists got sh750, 000, while silver and bronze medalists bagged sh250, 000 each.

“I am staking $5,000 (sh14m) for a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. I want us to end this lack of medals,” said Ddungu at a function to recognize the athletes that were crowned at the different games

Uganda last won a medal at the Olympic Games when Davis Kamoga settled for a 400m bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Uganda’s only gold medal at Olympics came courtesy of John Akii Bua (RIP) in the 1972 Munich Games in the 400m Hurdles.

 

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