Seth Akampa sets sights on gold at East Africa University Games

Long-distance runner Seth Akampa has said he will be going on a ‘mission’ at this year’s edition of the East Africa University Games, scheduled for December 15-21 at Maseno University, Kisumu campus.

The promising runner has been undergoing intensive training in Mbarara while also focusing on his end-of-semester exams. He says his timings have given him hope for accomplishing his ‘mission’ in Kenya.

He, along with middle-distance runner Simon Nuwagaba and sprinter Ronald Nahurira, made their final preparations on Saturday morning before the BSU team left for Kisumu later in the evening.

“I have been doing two concurrent activities demanding high-level concentration (exams and training), and I have duly done my best. I have a mission ahead because it has been my longtime dream to lead at this level. I am praying to God for the strength to realize it,” Akampa said.

Seth Akampa (left), Simon Nuwagaba (middle) and Ronald Nahurira (3) training for the East Africa Univeristy Games. PHOTO: Aloysius Byamukama

Akampa was among the 60 athletes selected to represent BSU at the games and was flagged off on Friday by University Vice-Chancellor Prof. John F. Mugisha.

BSU will compete in men's football, men's and women's volleyball, men's and women's woodball, chess, scrabble, and athletics.

The soft-spoken Akampa won double silver in the 5000m and 10000m in the last edition of the games held at Ndejje University, Uganda, in 2022.

He is the reigning national 10000m champion, after his heroics saw him beat the rest in 33:53.08 minutes at the 2023 Association of Uganda University Sports (AUUS) games at UCU.

The 24-year-old final-year Law student also boasts a FISU World University Cross Country gold, which he won in February after finishing in 29:12 minutes at the championship held in Muscat, Oman.

Having won gold at AUUS and FISU levels, regional and continental gold remain Akampa’s targets, and he hopes to achieve them.