10 Melbourne highlights
Apr 05, 2006
COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIARY<br><br><b>By Louis Jadwong</b><br><br>MELBOURNE 2006 brought back a feeling that the ‘good old days’ were returning to Ugandan sport. The runners had most to celebrate with the country’s first ever gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, while there were landmark ap
COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIARY
By Louis Jadwong
MELBOURNE 2006 brought back a feeling that the ‘good old days’ were returning to Ugandan sport. The runners had most to celebrate with the country’s first ever gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, while there were landmark appearances for rugby, badminton and table tennis.
Uganda’s 10
highlights
Inzzi record
Steeplechase queen Dorcus Inzikuru set the pace by adding the Commonwealth gold to her world championship title. Her closest challengers remain the Russians and Jamaicans, but, unless the opposition improves in the next year, she is a good bet to emulate John Akii-Bua’s Olympic gold and world record come Beijing 2008. The photogenic gazelle from Arua becomes the first Ugandan to hold a games record.
Boniface Kiprop
His victory brought the greatest joy to keen track and field followers and confirmed the athletics team as the most successful in Uganda’s history by placing 9th overall with two golds. It was the 20-year-old’s first senior gold medal after two years in which he looked like he would only be remembered for his success at the junior levels. The next Kenenisa Bekele? I think so.
Puncher Mubiru
The team of four boxers last had international exposure a year ago and a bronze is more than can be expected from such an outfit. Flyweight Martin Mubiru kept the boxing flag high, ensuring pugilists maintain the tradition of winning a medal in every games since their debut in 1958 with a silver from welterweight Thomas Kawere. Heavyweight George Oywello secured boxing’s first gold medal in Perth, Australia in 1962.
Rugby shows how
Other than Kiprop, you would say the rugby players were the only Ugandan athletes who conducted themselves like professionals. Captained by an economist, Allan Musoke, they were a group the team manager had to worry least about because they knew exactly when to train, when to rest, when to go for their matches and even when to demand for what was theirs as Ugandan representatives at the games. To cap it all, they pulled off two stunning wins over Tonga and Sri Lanka and stole the hearts of the Melbourne fans with their athleticism.
Asha Nambozo
Uganda Table Tennis Association have an eye to the future, and showed this by sending two of the youngest participants Uganda has ever fielded for a seniors’ event—Asha Nambozo,13, and Amina Kibone 14. They were in good company of the youngest participant in Melbourne, 12-year-old Yoshua Shing from the Pacific islands of Vanuatu who also participated in table tennis and Australian 13-year-old synchronised diving sensation Melissa Wu. The stars to replace the Paul Mutambuze-Mary Musoke generation, is getting the exposure it needs at the right age.
The crowds
Melburnians pride themselves in their support and knowledge of sport, and provided some of the memorable moments for most athletes, especially the underdogs. There was something about Uganda that struck them, either the bright black, red and orange colours of our kit, or they were surprised we were doing so well. The rugby team was the crowd favourites at the Telstra Dome while Inzikuru was cheered widely despite triumphing over Australians. This was in stark contrast to the official broadcaster of the games, Channel Nine that showed only Australian competitors and Australian victories. At the Inzikuru press conference for example, the chap from Channel Nine concentrated on the bronze and silver medallist as though they had won a golden double.
Cycling in pain
The cyclists suffered silently in Melbourne and are heroes for just being able to participate. No one knew their plight, so they got no help. They battled the odds and participated in all the events they entered, that is the Men’s road race where David Matovu and David Magezi were 105th and 110th respectively out of 120 competitors, the men’s cross country where they were 28th and 29th, and the individual time trial where they were 60th and 63rd. “Please, please, do not put those problems in the newspaper. If you do, we will be blacklisted from the next games,†cycling coach, Yusuf Mbaziira pleaded in Melbourne. Will rugby be at the next games?
Simon Mugabi
Badminton had gone to the dogs when Mugabi took charge of its redevelopment five years ago. That the nation fielded a team at the Commonwealth Games for the first time is credit to his commitment to the sport. He is one of the few officials who have also utilised the vast resources available at the Uganda Olympic Committee. Edwin Ekiring and Fiona Ssozi formed the backbone of the team and are beneficiaries of Olympic Solidarity training in South Africa and Europe.
One for the managers
One telecommunications highlight was the SMS offer The New Vision gave its readers during the Inzikuru and Kiprop races. One looks forward to being able to send pictures of such events to mobiles instantly at the next games. It is this same media that is always treated like enemies by fellow countrymen abroad. Little wonder only three responses were got when The New Vision, in a survey, sent out questionnaires to the team manager, chef de mission and all team managers, asking basic questions like “Do you know when and where the next games are?†The only responses we got were predictably from cycling manager Yusufu Mbazira, Mohamad Kaboggoza of weightlifting and badminton’s Simon Mugabi. Rugby’s ‘Sir’ Herbert Wafula can be excused because he had returned to Kampala earlier.
Great hosts
“If perfection is an impossible goal, Melbourne has gone as close to it as any community could in staging the greatest party this city has seen.†The HERALD SUN
Uganda’s medal history
Games G S B TT
1954 - 1 - 1
1958 - 1 - 1
1962 1 1 4 6
1966 - - 3 3
1970 3 3 1 7
1974 2 4 3 9
1982 - 3 - 3
1990 2 - 2 4
1994 - - 2 2
1998 - - 1 1
2002 - 2 - 2
2006 2 - 1 3
Total 10 15 17 42
Gold winners
1962
George Oywello
1970
James Odwori, Muhamad Muruli, Benson Masanda
1974
Ayub Kalule, Muhamad Muruli
1990
Justin Juuko, Godfrey Nyakana
2006
Boniface Kiprop, Dorcus Inzikuru
By Louis Jadwong
MELBOURNE 2006 brought back a feeling that the ‘good old days’ were returning to Ugandan sport. The runners had most to celebrate with the country’s first ever gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, while there were landmark appearances for rugby, badminton and table tennis.
Uganda’s 10
highlights
Inzzi record
Steeplechase queen Dorcus Inzikuru set the pace by adding the Commonwealth gold to her world championship title. Her closest challengers remain the Russians and Jamaicans, but, unless the opposition improves in the next year, she is a good bet to emulate John Akii-Bua’s Olympic gold and world record come Beijing 2008. The photogenic gazelle from Arua becomes the first Ugandan to hold a games record.
Boniface Kiprop
His victory brought the greatest joy to keen track and field followers and confirmed the athletics team as the most successful in Uganda’s history by placing 9th overall with two golds. It was the 20-year-old’s first senior gold medal after two years in which he looked like he would only be remembered for his success at the junior levels. The next Kenenisa Bekele? I think so.
Puncher Mubiru
The team of four boxers last had international exposure a year ago and a bronze is more than can be expected from such an outfit. Flyweight Martin Mubiru kept the boxing flag high, ensuring pugilists maintain the tradition of winning a medal in every games since their debut in 1958 with a silver from welterweight Thomas Kawere. Heavyweight George Oywello secured boxing’s first gold medal in Perth, Australia in 1962.
Rugby shows how
Other than Kiprop, you would say the rugby players were the only Ugandan athletes who conducted themselves like professionals. Captained by an economist, Allan Musoke, they were a group the team manager had to worry least about because they knew exactly when to train, when to rest, when to go for their matches and even when to demand for what was theirs as Ugandan representatives at the games. To cap it all, they pulled off two stunning wins over Tonga and Sri Lanka and stole the hearts of the Melbourne fans with their athleticism.
Asha Nambozo
Uganda Table Tennis Association have an eye to the future, and showed this by sending two of the youngest participants Uganda has ever fielded for a seniors’ event—Asha Nambozo,13, and Amina Kibone 14. They were in good company of the youngest participant in Melbourne, 12-year-old Yoshua Shing from the Pacific islands of Vanuatu who also participated in table tennis and Australian 13-year-old synchronised diving sensation Melissa Wu. The stars to replace the Paul Mutambuze-Mary Musoke generation, is getting the exposure it needs at the right age.
The crowds
Melburnians pride themselves in their support and knowledge of sport, and provided some of the memorable moments for most athletes, especially the underdogs. There was something about Uganda that struck them, either the bright black, red and orange colours of our kit, or they were surprised we were doing so well. The rugby team was the crowd favourites at the Telstra Dome while Inzikuru was cheered widely despite triumphing over Australians. This was in stark contrast to the official broadcaster of the games, Channel Nine that showed only Australian competitors and Australian victories. At the Inzikuru press conference for example, the chap from Channel Nine concentrated on the bronze and silver medallist as though they had won a golden double.
Cycling in pain
The cyclists suffered silently in Melbourne and are heroes for just being able to participate. No one knew their plight, so they got no help. They battled the odds and participated in all the events they entered, that is the Men’s road race where David Matovu and David Magezi were 105th and 110th respectively out of 120 competitors, the men’s cross country where they were 28th and 29th, and the individual time trial where they were 60th and 63rd. “Please, please, do not put those problems in the newspaper. If you do, we will be blacklisted from the next games,†cycling coach, Yusuf Mbaziira pleaded in Melbourne. Will rugby be at the next games?
Simon Mugabi
Badminton had gone to the dogs when Mugabi took charge of its redevelopment five years ago. That the nation fielded a team at the Commonwealth Games for the first time is credit to his commitment to the sport. He is one of the few officials who have also utilised the vast resources available at the Uganda Olympic Committee. Edwin Ekiring and Fiona Ssozi formed the backbone of the team and are beneficiaries of Olympic Solidarity training in South Africa and Europe.
One for the managers
One telecommunications highlight was the SMS offer The New Vision gave its readers during the Inzikuru and Kiprop races. One looks forward to being able to send pictures of such events to mobiles instantly at the next games. It is this same media that is always treated like enemies by fellow countrymen abroad. Little wonder only three responses were got when The New Vision, in a survey, sent out questionnaires to the team manager, chef de mission and all team managers, asking basic questions like “Do you know when and where the next games are?†The only responses we got were predictably from cycling manager Yusufu Mbazira, Mohamad Kaboggoza of weightlifting and badminton’s Simon Mugabi. Rugby’s ‘Sir’ Herbert Wafula can be excused because he had returned to Kampala earlier.
Great hosts
“If perfection is an impossible goal, Melbourne has gone as close to it as any community could in staging the greatest party this city has seen.†The HERALD SUN
Uganda’s medal history
Games G S B TT
1954 - 1 - 1
1958 - 1 - 1
1962 1 1 4 6
1966 - - 3 3
1970 3 3 1 7
1974 2 4 3 9
1982 - 3 - 3
1990 2 - 2 4
1994 - - 2 2
1998 - - 1 1
2002 - 2 - 2
2006 2 - 1 3
Total 10 15 17 42
Gold winners
1962
George Oywello
1970
James Odwori, Muhamad Muruli, Benson Masanda
1974
Ayub Kalule, Muhamad Muruli
1990
Justin Juuko, Godfrey Nyakana
2006
Boniface Kiprop, Dorcus Inzikuru