Leni again in record breaking form

Shida Leni made history on Saturday by breaking the 400 meter record for a fourth time this year.

The Police Athletics Club athlete clocked 52.12 seconds shaving 0.03 seconds off the record she set at the national championship a week earlier.

Leni would have probably even run under 52 if a faulty gun hadn't got the competitors into five failed starts at the Tartan Burners Athletics Club (TBAC) Invitational at Namboole.

"My target is to run 51 seconds before the Doha World Championships next year," stated a smiling Leni on a sunny and windy afternoon.

Leni walked away with sh80,000 for the win just like all the day's winners.

The top eight in all events were rewarded with money in the biggest cash offer ever in a Ugandan track and field event.

Gombe Secondary School student Josephine Lalam produced the day's biggest surprise when she defeated national javelin record holder Lucy Aber.

Aber who broke the record early this year settled for third position after also being beaten by UPDF's Victoria Awidi.

Lalam threw 51.57 meters to take the day in a stiff competition that had Awidi 1.53 meters behind. Aber threw 48.57.

In the men's 200m Leonard Opiny attempt to break Moses Milla's 20 year record was unsuccessful.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) sprinter clocked 21.24, well outside Milla's time of 20.63 registered in Johannesburg.

In the men's 100 Pius Adome came close to touching Milla 10.48 record.  Adome won the spring in 10.56. He was pushed by Prisons Musa Isabirye who clocked 10.65.

TBAC comprises of a group of senior athletes in Uganda and the diaspora.

This was the second edition of the TBAC meet whose aim is providing top athletes quality competition.

Invitations are made according performance in the season.

Similarities with the Diamond League don't end on cash prizes for almost everyone but also a compact program. Competition was strictly run from 3 to 5pm.

The winner got sh80,000, runner-up sh70,000, third sh60,000, fourth sh50,000, fifth sh40,000, sixth sh30,000, seventh sh20,000 and eighth sh10,000. The top three wil also get medals.