Uganda tops regional junior event

Jun 30, 2013

A five man junior athletics team from Uganda managed to conquer the region as they lifted the overall Eastern Africa junior championships trophy

By Norman Katende

Women

100m: Scovia Ayikoru (gold), Maureen Banura (silver)

200m: Maureen Banura (silver), Scovia Ayikoru (bronze)

400m: Suzan Aneno (gold), Shida Leni (silver)

800m: Suzan Aneno (gold)

L/Jump: Shida Leni (gold)

4 X100m: Uganda (gold)

Men

Long Jump: Felix Watmon (gold)

A five man junior athletics team from Uganda managed to conquer the region as they lifted the overall Eastern Africa junior championships trophy in the competition that concluded Saturday in Arusha, Tanzania. 

This was the first time Uganda was winning the regional event away from home as they have not always been performed well apart from when they have hosted.

A double gold medal haul from Suzan Aneno in the 400m and 800m, boosted by more gold medals from Scovia Ayikoru (100m), Shida Leni and Felix Watmon (long jump) together with the short relay team saw Uganda finish top of the eight countries that participated in the region event.

Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Eritrea, Zanzibar and Djibouti are the other countries that entered athletes in the biennial event that was pushed forward from late last month by the hosts only two days to the event. 

Eritrea and Burundi did not send athletes to the competition that is aimed at helping the regional athletes prepare for international competitions.

Watmon, who also won a gold medal in the Africa Junior championships in March, had little challenge in the long jump.

“Imagine we only entered five athletes and they have managed to win six medals. We shall concentrate on seeing that we give them more training so that they can be able to conquer the world’s best,” said the federation general secretary Beatrice Ayikoru.

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