Medalist Kiprop deserved more

By James BakamaWINNING a World Cross-country might sound too big a feat for Uganda, but to coach Johnson Kasajja, that is what Boniface Kiprop deserved in Dublin last weekend.Kasajja strongly believes that Kiprop, winner of Uganda’s first individual bronze, would have emerged champion but was denied a chance to effect his race plan.The tactic, which Kasajja says had been meticulously laid out for a month, blew up when Kiprop’s pace setter Patrick Cheboto failed to travel to Dublin.Cheboto and Moses Kipsiro did not go to Ireland because of lack of funds. “This demoralised the team, ruling out the teamwork element,” said Kasajja regretfully, arguing that the team performance could even have been better than bronze.According to the coach, Kiprop, who was much faster than team-mates Martin Toroitich, Paul Wakou and Francis Musani, was thereafter at the mercy of the Kenyans.Abel Cheruiyot and Thomas Kiplatan determined the pace of the eight kilometer race won by Ethiopia’s Gebre-Egziable Gebremarian.Kasajja says Uganda’s strength in depth was underlined by his genuinely young team’s ability to put up a challenge against much older competitors.International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) rules restrict the juniors’ races to competitors below 20 years.“Most of the other competitors were visibly far beyond this requirement,” complained the coach.Kiprop’s flawless running technique won him admiration from all coaches. “He was so fluid that he made running look so simple,” recounted the team leader.ends