Canadian boosts juniors for world meet

Mar 22, 2010

CANADIAN born American, Karl Keirstead, has boosted the national junior women team with $4,500 (sh9m) to enable them travel to Poland for the World Cross Country championships. The event is due Sunday afternoon in the city of Bydgoszcz.

By Norman Katende

CANADIAN born American, Karl Keirstead, has boosted the national junior women team with $4,500 (sh9m) to enable them travel to Poland for the World Cross Country championships. The event is due Sunday afternoon in the city of Bydgoszcz.

The boost will end Uganda team’s absence from the world event. The team last took part in the 2007 event held in Mombasa, Kenya.

Annet Negesa will lead the junior team that also has Rebecca Cheptegei, Viola Chemos, Adha Mongolia and Mercy Chelangat.

The money will cater for part of the air tickets for the junior women, with the federation topping up with about sh6m. The full Uganda team also has the junior men and senior teams.

Keirstead has been sponsoring the Bukwo Road Run for the last seven years. His aim is to develop cross country running, most especially among women. Keirstead feels that the products of the race so far are strong enough to put up competition at the world event.

After learning that the local athletics federation was short of funds for the junior women team, Keirstead decided to talk to Running Stat Foundation friends who contributed the funds.
“We are looking at the various corporate companies for the top up.

The package has given us a great boost. It will give the junior women exposure as we build them for international competitions,” said Beatrice Ayikoru, the national athletics federation secretary.

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