On Wednesday, August 3, 2023, Dismas Yeko’s 1ooom gold ensured that Uganda opened its medal haul at the ongoing FISU World University Games in Chengdu, China.

Today, the country's athletics fans watched in awe as another athlete powerfully ghosted to win a silver medal.

Knight Aciru lined up as the only Ugandan in the strong women’s 800-meter field.

The 24-year-old produced her graceful speed and strength to outpace stiff competition to the silver medal after crossing the line in a season-best (SB) time of 2 mins, 04 seconds, and 34 microseconds.  

Ndejje University student was denied gold by another top performer, Italian Laura Pellicoro, 22, of the University of Portland who cruised at the speed of 2 mins, 04 seconds, 20 microseconds to win gold. 

The University of Free State – UFS' Charne Eileen Swart 2 mins: 4 seconds, 73 microseconds, took home a bronze medal after finishing behind the delighted Aciru.  

Tactical race 

Aciro stunningly stormed the field to silver just a year after finishing in a rather disappointing seventh position at the World University cross-country championships in Aveiro, Portugal.  

“The race was so tactical. I think racing as an individual in the category did not help because I had no one to plan with. I got challenges pushing myself upwards and onwards that is why I had to run in lane 2 from start to finish,” the Business student said in her post-race interview with New Vision Sports.  

A key member of Team Uganda, Aciru is versatile as she can switch between cross-country, long-distance, middle distance (5000m and 10000 m), and relay. 

Aciru in action as she cruised to silver

Most recently, she featured for Team Uganda in Bathurst, Australia, where she competed in a mixed relay during the recently concluded World Cross Country Championships 2023.

At Ndejje University, Aciru is pursuing a bachelor's in business administration (BBA).

Bugema University’s Faustino Kiwa, the Team’s coach, was impressed to witness another Ugandan athlete add to Yeko’s 10,000-meter gold.

Asked what specific aspects Aciru had managed to add to her game over the last year, Kiwa was quick to spell it all out.

“Speed. We did a lot of speed work this time around,” veteran coach Kiwa said.

Okwi narrowly misses out 

Meanwhile, Team Captain Emannuel Okwi from Makerere University was unlucky to finish just outside the medal bracket in the men’s 1500m.

Despite finishing fourth, Okwi was fast enough to set a personal best (PB) of 3mins:40seconds.32microseconds.  

In this category, the French medical student, Beniot Campion fired his country to gold after clocking 3mins:38seconds.61microseconds while Algerian Oussama Cherrad gorgeously took home the silver medal with a time of 3mins:40seconds.64microseconds.

The bronze belonged to experienced Armenia’s Yervand Mkrtchyan after he swept past Okwi with the clock reading; 3mins:40seconds.68microseconds.