Athletics: Inzikuru, Birungi lead the hunt at Games

By Norman KatendeUGANDA, who were earlier expected to be represented by eight athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, will end up fielding only six athletes after the duo of Bonifance Kiprop (5000m) and Alex Malinga (marathon) could not be traced for final documentation.The team has had top flight tests with the best known being the women, Grace Birungi and Dorcus Inzikuru.Of the six, only one Annet Kabasindi is a field athlete and is the least experienced. The short distance runners who have dominated the team in the past will be absent as most of them failed to hit the qualifying mark in time.The team will have three middle distance runners and two long distance runners.Grace Birungi (800m)With a personal best of 2:00.97 and holding the 400m national record, she goes in the race with a season’s best of 2:04.23.She has medals from the All Africa Games (1999 - bronze), Africa Senior Championship (1999 -silver) and has competed in the Olympics, World Championship and World Junior championship. Inzikuru (5000m)With a personal and season’s best of 15:21.30, she holds the 3000m and 5000m national records and is a gold medallist in the World junior and East Africa junior championship.Inzikuru, who graduated to the senior category early this year, has also raced in World Cross County championships.Julius Acon (1500m)With a personal best of 3:35.46, the national 800m and 1500m record holder goes in the games with a season’s best of 3:38.23.He is a World Junior gold medallist, All Africa games bronze medallist, IAAF permit gold medallist, Africa Senior Championship silver medallist and East Africa region gold medallist.He has also competed in the Olympics, Commonwealth games, World championships and at different permit meets.Kabasindi (Javelin)The only field athlete on the team, she goes to the game with a personal and seasonal best of 51.51. She has a gold medal from the East African region championship and she has also competed in the All Africa games and the AAC and Engen permit meets.Paskal Owor (800m)He has a personal best of 1:47.08 and a season’s best of 1:47.58 (indoor).He is a bronze medallist in the World junior and gold medallist in the East Africa region.He has also participated in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, All Africa games and IAAF, AAC and other permit meets.Paul Wakou (5000m)With a personal and season’s best of 13:50.0, his best international outing is when he finished seventh in the World Cross Country and winning a team event bronze at the same event three times. He is also an East Africa region gold medallist.He has participated in different permit meets.