Commonwealth Games, World U20 success, top Uganda Athletics agenda

Following an impressive start to the year that yielded seven medals at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Uganda Athletics (UA) has shifted focus to four major international competitions lined up for the 2026 season.

According to Uganda Athletics president Dominic Otucet, the federation’s campaign will begin with the World Athletics Indoor Championships scheduled for March 20–22 in Poland.

This will be followed by the Commonwealth Games, set for July 27 to August 1 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Attention will then turn to the World Athletics Under-20 Championships from August 4–9 at Hayward Field in Eugene, USA, before closing the year with the Youth Olympic Games due from October 30 to November 15 in Dakar, Senegal.

While all four events remain crucial on Uganda’s calendar, Otucet revealed that the Commonwealth Games and the World Under-20 Championships will take priority due to their medal potential and long-term impact on the sport.

Uganda heads into the 2026 Commonwealth Games with strong momentum, having enjoyed a historic outing at the 2022 Games in Birmingham. Athletics contributed four of the five medals Uganda won overall.

Jacob Kiplimo delivered a memorable double, winning gold in both the 10,000m and 5,000m, Victor Kiplangat secured gold in the marathon, while Peruth Chemutai claimed bronze in the 3,000m steeplechase.

Otucet believes the team can surpass that performance in Glasgow.

“We are soon starting the qualification process with national trials, although some athletes have already achieved the qualifying standards,” Otucet said. “We have a lot of trust in our athletes, and I am confident we will perform even better than we did in Birmingham.”

The World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene are also a major focus for Uganda Athletics, not only for immediate results but as a vital platform for nurturing future stars. Otucet emphasized the importance of qualifying a large team to expose young athletes to elite competition.

“We are targeting to qualify a big number of athletes for this championship because it determines the future of our athletics,” he noted. “At the last edition in Lima, we won three medals, including a silver and two bronze, and that is a performance we want to improve on this year.”

With a strong start to the season and a clear roadmap ahead, Uganda Athletics is positioning itself for another landmark year on the global stage balancing present success with long-term development of the next generation.