Marathon team reduced to seven as Chemos gets hospitalised

Uganda will have a team of only seven athletes at the World Half Marathon Championships on March 24, 2018 in Valencia, Spain as female distance runner Viola Chemos got hospitalised.

The publicity secretary Uganda Athletics Federation Namayo Mawerere in a communication, says Chemoswas rushed to Masha Clinic in Kapchorwa sick and in critical condition on Monday at 1.00am.

On Thursday she underwent an operation at 5.00pm in Kapchorwa Hospital after being diagnosed with a mass growth swelling caused by worms in the stomach.

Dr. Eve Chekwemoi who together with Dr. Baraza Emannuel conducted the successful operation says it will take about six months for Chemos to fully recover.

"There is no cause for alarm. It's just unfortunate that she will not travel to Spain. She will not compete now neither resume training until after six months of full recovery. She needs time to rest," she said.

Chemos says she felt pain in the stomach before reporting to Kapchorwa national residential camp and claimed it was not very serious.

"But four days ago I started vomiting and suffered more pain from sewlling. But, now it's the pain from the wound of the operation that I am getting," the distance runner said.

But, Chemos has equally accepted her fate.  "I call it an accident and it happens in life. I therefore have to endure but life is very important. I really thank God that He took me through the operation successfully," she said.

Uganda will now send a team of seven runners (4men and 3 women) to Valencia World Half Marathon Championships.