Kivumbi saga: Blood thicker than medals?
FOR Ismael Katamba, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will always evoke sore memories. Ironically, the diminutive weightlifter’s tears are not from Beijing but events before the games of the 29th Olympiad.
By James Bakama
FOR Ismael Katamba, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will always evoke sore memories. Ironically, the diminutive weightlifter’s tears are not from Beijing but events before the games of the 29th Olympiad.
Katamba strongly insists that he was robbed of a place on Uganda’s Olympic team by a system pregnant with nepotism.
Mubarak Kivumbi, who was on Monday disqualified from the Games for being overweight, was the Uganda Weightlifting Federation’s (UWF) choice for Beijing.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave Uganda a 56kg wild card that UWF awarded to Kivumbi.
Kivumbi, suffice it to note, is a son of UWF boss Salim Musoke, who doubles up as the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) treasurer.
UWF however maintains that Kimbowa was the best choice. Katamba, on the other hand, challenges UWF to authenticate their stand.
The pint-sized Katamba contends that he is more physically suited to compete at 56kgs than Kivumbi, who in Beijing weighed 61kgs — five kilogrammes short of the wild card offer.
“I have lately competed in the 62kg category while weighing 59.63kgs,†explains Katamba.
He also cites the 62kg category where he not only beat Kivumbi at the May 10-16 Africa Olympic qualifier in South Africa, but also emerged as Uganda’s best lifter.
The 2005 Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) Weightlifter of the Year lifted 97kg and 135kg in snatch and clean and jerk respectively for a 232kg total in the qualifier.
Kivumbi on the other hand pushed 105kgs in snatch but failed to make a lift in the clean and jerk.
According to the Sinclair points system that’s used to grade different weight lifters in a team, Katamba emerged best on Uganda’s team of seven in South Africa.
The Sinclair format derives its points from lifters’ total results minus their weights.
Katamba topped this list with 172 points while Kivumbi tailed with 43.5.
He also refers to competitions after South Africa where he sparkled while Kivumbi was on the sick bed after a motor accident left him with a deep head cut.
The events in Busia and YMCA saw Katamba set national records with 105kg snatch and 140kg clean and jerk lifts for a 245kg total.
“I was therefore shocked when I learnt that Kivumbi would represent Uganda,†complained Katamba, who also questioned the procedure used to choose Kivumbi’s coach Lanny Kimbowa.
“Kimbowa not only lacks the qualifications to coach at the Olympics, but is also Salim Musoke’s son [thus a brother to Kivumbi].â€
Katamba is also bitter at the manner in which he was dropped in November from a four-month Olympic Solidarity training stint in Colorado Springs, USA.
“Musoke claimed that I couldn’t travel because I had failed to compete at the July All Africa Games in Algeria. I was replaced by his son Moses Kimbowa, who hadn’t been active for two years.â€
Katamba says when he sought further explanation he was informed that Kimbowa was going for a coaching course. “As I knew, the coaching course Uganda had was in Egypt and not USA,†he insists.
But when contacted yesterday UWF’s vice president (technical) James Onyango maintained that Katamba had no grounds to complain.
He said the Katamba-Kivumbi case was an issue of fading talent against an emerging one.
“It’s true Katamba could have done better than Kivumbi in South Africa, but we had to consider the future. We expect more from the younger Kivumbi,†argued Onyango.
He said the best Katamba could have done in the South Africa competition would have been to qualify.
“If he had done so, no one would have questioned his credentials.â€
Onyango also dismissed claims that coach Kimbowa was not qualified. “The only problem is that he is Kimbowa’s brother.â€
FOR Ismael Katamba, the 2008 Beijing Olympics will always evoke sore memories. Ironically, the diminutive weightlifter’s tears are not from Beijing but events before the games of the 29th Olympiad.
Katamba strongly insists that he was robbed of a place on Uganda’s Olympic team by a system pregnant with nepotism.
Mubarak Kivumbi, who was on Monday disqualified from the Games for being overweight, was the Uganda Weightlifting Federation’s (UWF) choice for Beijing.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave Uganda a 56kg wild card that UWF awarded to Kivumbi.
Kivumbi, suffice it to note, is a son of UWF boss Salim Musoke, who doubles up as the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) treasurer.
UWF however maintains that Kimbowa was the best choice. Katamba, on the other hand, challenges UWF to authenticate their stand.
The pint-sized Katamba contends that he is more physically suited to compete at 56kgs than Kivumbi, who in Beijing weighed 61kgs — five kilogrammes short of the wild card offer.
“I have lately competed in the 62kg category while weighing 59.63kgs,†explains Katamba.
He also cites the 62kg category where he not only beat Kivumbi at the May 10-16 Africa Olympic qualifier in South Africa, but also emerged as Uganda’s best lifter.
The 2005 Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) Weightlifter of the Year lifted 97kg and 135kg in snatch and clean and jerk respectively for a 232kg total in the qualifier.
Kivumbi on the other hand pushed 105kgs in snatch but failed to make a lift in the clean and jerk.
According to the Sinclair points system that’s used to grade different weight lifters in a team, Katamba emerged best on Uganda’s team of seven in South Africa.
The Sinclair format derives its points from lifters’ total results minus their weights.
Katamba topped this list with 172 points while Kivumbi tailed with 43.5.
He also refers to competitions after South Africa where he sparkled while Kivumbi was on the sick bed after a motor accident left him with a deep head cut.
The events in Busia and YMCA saw Katamba set national records with 105kg snatch and 140kg clean and jerk lifts for a 245kg total.
“I was therefore shocked when I learnt that Kivumbi would represent Uganda,†complained Katamba, who also questioned the procedure used to choose Kivumbi’s coach Lanny Kimbowa.
“Kimbowa not only lacks the qualifications to coach at the Olympics, but is also Salim Musoke’s son [thus a brother to Kivumbi].â€
Katamba is also bitter at the manner in which he was dropped in November from a four-month Olympic Solidarity training stint in Colorado Springs, USA.
“Musoke claimed that I couldn’t travel because I had failed to compete at the July All Africa Games in Algeria. I was replaced by his son Moses Kimbowa, who hadn’t been active for two years.â€
Katamba says when he sought further explanation he was informed that Kimbowa was going for a coaching course. “As I knew, the coaching course Uganda had was in Egypt and not USA,†he insists.
But when contacted yesterday UWF’s vice president (technical) James Onyango maintained that Katamba had no grounds to complain.
He said the Katamba-Kivumbi case was an issue of fading talent against an emerging one.
“It’s true Katamba could have done better than Kivumbi in South Africa, but we had to consider the future. We expect more from the younger Kivumbi,†argued Onyango.
He said the best Katamba could have done in the South Africa competition would have been to qualify.
“If he had done so, no one would have questioned his credentials.â€
Onyango also dismissed claims that coach Kimbowa was not qualified. “The only problem is that he is Kimbowa’s brother.â€