Inzikuru place in doubt

By James Bakama STAR athletes Dorcus Inzikuru and Martin Toroitich risk being dropped from Uganda's World Cross-country team because of failure to participate in the recent national championships. "They had better come up with a strong explanation or else consider themselves off the team," said UAAF secretary Patrick Okanya yesterday. Inzikuru and Toroitich were Uganda's best performers at last year's World Cross-country event, helping the country to a fifth and third position respectively in the junior women and men's races. Mystery surrounds Inzikuru's form and whereabouts. While some officials said injury was the cause of her absence in the national cross-country in Arua, others claimed that she preferred not to compete because her stardom had split coaching staff with each claiming credit. Toroitich and his younger brother Boniface Kiprop are said to be training abroad-but Uganda Amateur Athletics Federation (UAAF) does not know exactly where. Okanya said the athletes' failure to account for their absence in Arua is a sign of indiscipline. He said if Inzikuru was injured she should have duly informed UAAF. The national cross-country doubled up as an occasion for Arua to honour home girl Inzikuru. The golf course race course is a short distance from her school Mvara SS. "But she inexplicably did not appear at the venue," wondered Okanya. Top finishers in Arua are currently in non residential training in Bombo and Kampala for the World championships due in Ireland later this month. Ends