Swimming pools stayed empty in 2020

The Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) was laying the groundwork for what would be a very busy season when a lockdown was imposed on all sporting activities in March.

Making the qualifying time to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the 15th FINA World Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi was one of the main targets for Ugandan swimmers.

Other activities that were lined up included the FINA Swimming Coaches’ Certification Clinic (Level I) and the African Youth Water Polo Qualifier in Zimbabwe, the Uganda National Age Group Swimming Championships in June, the 19th National Independence Swimming Gala, and the 6th CANA Zone III Swimming Championships in Kampala were supposed to be some of the major USF activities this year.

The USF was also to ensure that Uganda participates in zonal, regional, continental and international aquatic events by fielding the best-selected representatives and among other things provide opportunities for training of Athletes, Technical Officials, Coaches, Team Managers, Medical & Support Personnel, Press Attaches/Liaisons, Members’ Representatives, etc in aquatic disciplines, governance, and related matters.

This, on top of other club events like the Seals League, Dolphins Junior championships, Silverfin Pentathlon, and the Dolphins’ Fast and Furious among others that could not be held because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

USF president Moses Mwase had just taken over from Donald Rukare who had been appointed National Council of Sports chairman when the coronavirus struck.

But, before the lockdown, Kirabo Namutebi had collected five of Uganda’s nine medals as the CANA Zone IV Championships ended in Botswana in February.

The 15-year-old British School of Uganda student and Uganda Sports Press Association Swimmer of the Year 2019 won 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze to inspire the Uganda girls team to an 8th place finish out of 13 and a 10th place overall at the University of Botswana Long Course Swimming pool. Team captain Avice Meya also claimed bronze in the 200m butterfly race

Swimming in the masters’ class (45+ years category) outgoing Uganda Swimming Federation president and National Council of Sports Chairman Donald Rukare was also good for bronze on the first day of the championship clocking 46.83 in the 50m breast race.

Peter Ssebanakitta (2:03.77) and Joseph Kabogoza (30.74) also picked silver medals from the 100m breast and butterfly races.

Mwase joined the federation in the middle of his predecessors’ term and had promised

to continue with the swimming agenda and continue being the mouthpiece of the federation.

“I will continue knocking on doors of our partners and sponsors so that we can continue the agenda but we have a strategic plan which has been running under which we expect to attain certain things. Some of the things we have achieved are strictly under that plan,” Mwase said soon after taking over.

He also planned to increase the swimming thumbprint in Kampala, but most importantly outside Kampala.

“We want everyone to be able to swim and we are starting an initiative with the Ministry of Education where we would like to propose that swimming be made as part of the national curriculum; swimming should be a life skill,” Mwase noted.

But he will have to execute these and many other plans next year amid the coronavirus pandemic.