Ugandan athletes will no longer have to travel abroad to qualify for major tournaments once the laying of the athletics track at the revamped Namboole stadium is completed.

From 2020, Ugandan athletes partaking in various competitions had to travel abroad as Uganda lacked a facility at the level recognized by World Athletics. But the wait might be over.

Despite the delays in laying the track, Vision Sports can authoritatively reveal that in less than two weeks, the facility will be ready with the first phase done and dusted.

A section of the track being laid at Namboole stadium

Project engineer Peter Kidemuka believes his team has worked tremendously well to see the work get over, leaving no stone unturned and uplifting the standard of the pitch.

“We have worked tirelessly in the last three weeks to get the work of laying the athletics track and running tartan,” Kidemuka confirmed.

He noted this while showing Vision Sports the new development at the facility.

The track only waits for the application of the final layer and then is marked by World Athletics technical officials to qualify the facility for the world stage.

This comes at a point when Joshua Cheptegei has just won Uganda's first gold medal in the 1000m final at this year's Olympic Games in Paris, France.

A section of the track being laid at Namboole stadium

Once the athletics track and tartan are completed it will also be able to host track and field events like javelin, and long jump, among others. 

Upon completion, the facility awaits inauguration by the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni and attention will be put on the other facilities that are set to be at the pinnacle of AFCON 2027 like Hoima City Stadium and the training stadia all over the country like Kyambogo University and Old Kampala SS training facilities.