Hundreds compete in 10th Patrick Etolu Memorial Athletics meet in Soroti

Hundreds of athletes from the North East region gathered at Soroti Sports Ground on Saturday, June 27, 2025, for the 10th edition of the Patrick Etolu Track and Field Memorial.

The annual event, organised by the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), honors Patrick Etolu, one of the first Ugandans to represent the country at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia.

The meet brought together both local and national athletes in a celebration of Uganda’s athletic heritage and a search for emerging talent.

UAF President Dominic Otucet emphasized the importance of memorial events like the Etolu Meet in identifying potential athletes and offering opportunities to meet qualifying times for international competitions.

“Memorial runs such as Etolu, Omeda, and Akii-Bua are key in spotting athletes who meet the timing standards required for elite events,” Otucet explained. He added that the federation’s initiative to turn these into high-quality invitational meets is part of an effort to attract top-tier athletes and build a more engaging competition structure for fans.

Jimmy Isamat, Chairperson of the North East Region Athletics Association, applauded the athletes for their enthusiastic participation and urged them to maintain integrity by avoiding drug use.

“I encourage more districts to send athletes to this annual event. It’s a solid platform for grooming talent within our communities,” he said.

The half-day competition attracted participants from schools, private clubs, and tertiary institutions across several districts, including Amuria, Soroti City, Soroti District, Ngora, Bukedea, Kaberamaido, Moroto, Kaabong, Kotido, Kalaki, Serere, Kumi, and Abim.

Athletes competed in various disciplines such as the 100m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m, long jump, triple jump, discus, javelin, and high jump. The top three finishers in each category received cash prizes.