Beijing Olympics will form bedrock of promising year
Jan 03, 2008
FEWER competitions rev the juices of the international sportsperson more furiously than the Olympic Games, and the world’s biggest games come again this year in August in the Chinese city of Beijing. And Uganda –– for whom success in the Olympic Games has long been the hallmark of sporting suc
YEAR IN PREVIEW 2008
By Norman Katende
FEWER competitions rev the juices of the international sportsperson more furiously than the Olympic Games, and the world’s biggest games come again this year in August in the Chinese city of Beijing. And Uganda –– for whom success in the Olympic Games has long been the hallmark of sporting success –– will not leave anything to chance.
According to the secretary of the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) Beatrice Ayikoru, the federation will hold a meeting with the nation’s athletes and emphasize the importance of participating at the Olympic Games.
“We are going to advise them to specialise in only one event as qualification is fairly difficult,†Ayikoru said of the federation’s plans for the Olympics.
UAF’s focus is crucial for athletics will represent Uganda’s most realistic hope of securing an Olympic medal following the utter implosion of amateur boxing.
Boxing implodes
Over the years, athletics and boxing have yielded the highest number of Olympic medals –– of the five medals Uganda has won in Olympic history, athletics has claimed two and boxing three — but the latter’s chances in Beijing have been significantly diminished by the pugilists failure to qualify.
The nation’s amateur boxers instead elected to blow a wonderful opportunity by going AWOL at the World Boxing Championships in Chicago last year, an Olympic-qualifying event in which the boxers were well-placed to qualify.
Boxing championships will take place in Algeria and Namibia early this year in which qualification to the Olympics can be achieved, but the disappearance of Shariff Bogere, Edward Akora and Phillip Adyak in the United States has shorn the amateur wing of potential medal hopefuls.
Ismail Miwendo is the last remaining hopeful, and Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation (UABF) boss Rogers Ddungu has turned his focus to the 2012 Games in London.
“In every amateur sports, Olympics should be the basis of all programmes. It will be quite difficult to build a team for this year’s Olympic Games but we will try our level best. We will also start early preparations for the 2012 games,†said Ddungu.
The federation boss further hopes that they can exploit the training camp opportunities that have been extended by Mexico and Canada for the local boxers and chances to go to international boxing tournaments.
Athletics hope
As it is, athletics remains the most realistic venue for one to vest hope in, and with five athletes already qualified for the games –– Abraham Chepkirwok (800m), Moses Kipsiro (5000m), Boniface Kiprop (10000m), Alex Malinga (marathon) and Benjamin Kiplagat (3000m steeplechase) –– Uganda can look forward to what promises to be a bountiful harvest.
The return of Dorcus Inzikuru will again carry the nation’s hopes.
In her last outing in the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, she finished seventh in the 5000m, but the Arua Gazelle has since shifted to the 3000m steeplechase –– and has wasted no time establishing her dominance.
She was indisposed for the latter part of last year by a sinusitis ailment and pregnancy –– she gave birth to her first child, Emmanuela in December –– but Inzikuru is confident. “I will be on the national team to the Beijing Olympic Games. My target remains an Olympic medal, and God willing, I will have it.â€
In badminton, Uganda’s eyes will be on Edwin Ekiring, who has undergone training at a German academy. Ekiring already endorsed his credentials by winning a bronze medal at the All Africa Games.
The Uganda Weightlifting Federation (UWF) has sent lifters to Ismailia, Egypt and Colorado Springs, USA, to commence training. “It’s the Olympics we have been planning for,†said Salim Musoke, the new federation head.
By Norman Katende
FEWER competitions rev the juices of the international sportsperson more furiously than the Olympic Games, and the world’s biggest games come again this year in August in the Chinese city of Beijing. And Uganda –– for whom success in the Olympic Games has long been the hallmark of sporting success –– will not leave anything to chance.
According to the secretary of the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) Beatrice Ayikoru, the federation will hold a meeting with the nation’s athletes and emphasize the importance of participating at the Olympic Games.
“We are going to advise them to specialise in only one event as qualification is fairly difficult,†Ayikoru said of the federation’s plans for the Olympics.
UAF’s focus is crucial for athletics will represent Uganda’s most realistic hope of securing an Olympic medal following the utter implosion of amateur boxing.
Boxing implodes
Over the years, athletics and boxing have yielded the highest number of Olympic medals –– of the five medals Uganda has won in Olympic history, athletics has claimed two and boxing three — but the latter’s chances in Beijing have been significantly diminished by the pugilists failure to qualify.
The nation’s amateur boxers instead elected to blow a wonderful opportunity by going AWOL at the World Boxing Championships in Chicago last year, an Olympic-qualifying event in which the boxers were well-placed to qualify.
Boxing championships will take place in Algeria and Namibia early this year in which qualification to the Olympics can be achieved, but the disappearance of Shariff Bogere, Edward Akora and Phillip Adyak in the United States has shorn the amateur wing of potential medal hopefuls.
Ismail Miwendo is the last remaining hopeful, and Uganda Amateur Boxing Federation (UABF) boss Rogers Ddungu has turned his focus to the 2012 Games in London.
“In every amateur sports, Olympics should be the basis of all programmes. It will be quite difficult to build a team for this year’s Olympic Games but we will try our level best. We will also start early preparations for the 2012 games,†said Ddungu.
The federation boss further hopes that they can exploit the training camp opportunities that have been extended by Mexico and Canada for the local boxers and chances to go to international boxing tournaments.
Athletics hope
As it is, athletics remains the most realistic venue for one to vest hope in, and with five athletes already qualified for the games –– Abraham Chepkirwok (800m), Moses Kipsiro (5000m), Boniface Kiprop (10000m), Alex Malinga (marathon) and Benjamin Kiplagat (3000m steeplechase) –– Uganda can look forward to what promises to be a bountiful harvest.
The return of Dorcus Inzikuru will again carry the nation’s hopes.
In her last outing in the Olympic Games in Athens 2004, she finished seventh in the 5000m, but the Arua Gazelle has since shifted to the 3000m steeplechase –– and has wasted no time establishing her dominance.
She was indisposed for the latter part of last year by a sinusitis ailment and pregnancy –– she gave birth to her first child, Emmanuela in December –– but Inzikuru is confident. “I will be on the national team to the Beijing Olympic Games. My target remains an Olympic medal, and God willing, I will have it.â€
In badminton, Uganda’s eyes will be on Edwin Ekiring, who has undergone training at a German academy. Ekiring already endorsed his credentials by winning a bronze medal at the All Africa Games.
The Uganda Weightlifting Federation (UWF) has sent lifters to Ismailia, Egypt and Colorado Springs, USA, to commence training. “It’s the Olympics we have been planning for,†said Salim Musoke, the new federation head.