Ugandan athletes not fit

By Norman Katende

UGANDAN athletes will need extra help for them to realise their full potential after a medical check-up revealed that 50% of the team has some complications that need to be worked on if they are to conquer the world.

According to a preliminary report from the Santa Rocco Medical Centre in Siena, Tuscany, where the team that conquered the World Mountain Running championships were given a free medical check as one of the packages of the national team sponsors, five athletes were found to have ailments that needed to be treated early.

Without revealing names, the medical reports say that one athlete was suffering from Bronchitis, two had knee problems, three had problems with their legs not being level, while all athletes were reported to lack enough fluids in their body, which made their endurance a problem.

However, the good news was that no athlete tested positive for banned substances, which gave Uganda Athletics Federation more hope that the team was still playing fair.

Coach Giuseppe Giambrone, who was in charge of the sports test said that they were going to contact the federation and the relevant authorities to see how they can work together in fully treating the athletes as a way of helping them achieve their full potential.

“We have all the machines. However they have to bear the costs of bringing them down here. Since they are part of the national team, the contract holds for them,” said Giambrone.

The clinic has already treated Boniface Kiprop, who suffered from a torn muscle and was out of competition for five years. Kiprop is back in form and managed to win a half marathon in Siena. He is now targeting to qualify for the World Championships.

They have also helped Wilson Busienei Kipkemei, who had a knee injury that kept off him out of action after he won a triple medal in the World Universidad in Izmir, Turkey in 2007.