Fourth bronze
Oct 17, 2003
UGANDAN weightlifting was rewarded for its determination and persistence when teenager Irene Ajambo won a historic bronze medal on Wednesday.
Louis Jadwong at the all africa Louis Jadwong at the all africa games
UGANDAN weightlifting was rewarded for its determination and persistence when teenager Irene Ajambo won a historic bronze medal on Wednesday.
Ajambo, competing in the 69kg category, lifted 57.5kg in the snatch and 77.5kg in the clean and jerk to win Uganda’s first ever All Africa Games medal in weightlifting. Cameroonian Madeleine Yamechi followed by Janet Thelermont of Seychelles won the category.
“ I am so excited that my efforts have been rewarded,†said 18 year-old Ajambo. “ You know we nearly failed to even travel to Abuja. I am so happy.â€
The weightlifters, like the baseball team, only made it to the games after securing sponsorship after the games had already started. The government funded only six athletes and six boxers with decathlete Teddy Sondota paying his way to Abuja and securing only accommodation at the Games Village.
Coach Ali Kavuma, an Olympian himself, was equally elated by Ajambo’s feat. He took the opportunity to put in an advert for the poorly funded weightlifting association: “you know we don’t have facilities and the kind of training the north African powers have. We need help.â€
“Even our equipment is so outdated that in training we just guess the weights we lift,†Kavuma said.
Ajambo makes the African team to the Afro-Asian Games October 24 to November 1 in India.
Uganda finishes the games with a silver (Inzikuru) and four bronze (Katongole, Tebazalwa, Ajambo and softball team). The softball result, like the powerlifting competition, is yet to be ratified because only four teams, one less than the official number necessary to make a discipline medal winning, participated.
Ends
UGANDAN weightlifting was rewarded for its determination and persistence when teenager Irene Ajambo won a historic bronze medal on Wednesday.
Ajambo, competing in the 69kg category, lifted 57.5kg in the snatch and 77.5kg in the clean and jerk to win Uganda’s first ever All Africa Games medal in weightlifting. Cameroonian Madeleine Yamechi followed by Janet Thelermont of Seychelles won the category.
“ I am so excited that my efforts have been rewarded,†said 18 year-old Ajambo. “ You know we nearly failed to even travel to Abuja. I am so happy.â€
The weightlifters, like the baseball team, only made it to the games after securing sponsorship after the games had already started. The government funded only six athletes and six boxers with decathlete Teddy Sondota paying his way to Abuja and securing only accommodation at the Games Village.
Coach Ali Kavuma, an Olympian himself, was equally elated by Ajambo’s feat. He took the opportunity to put in an advert for the poorly funded weightlifting association: “you know we don’t have facilities and the kind of training the north African powers have. We need help.â€
“Even our equipment is so outdated that in training we just guess the weights we lift,†Kavuma said.
Ajambo makes the African team to the Afro-Asian Games October 24 to November 1 in India.
Uganda finishes the games with a silver (Inzikuru) and four bronze (Katongole, Tebazalwa, Ajambo and softball team). The softball result, like the powerlifting competition, is yet to be ratified because only four teams, one less than the official number necessary to make a discipline medal winning, participated.
Ends