Uganda Athletics Federation flags off athletics team to Cameroon

The National Council of Sports (NCS) and the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) have flagged off 13 athletes to compete in the 2024 Africa Senior Championship from June 21-26 in Cameroon.

This is the last continental 2024 Paris Olympic qualifier as the global qualification closes on June 30.

The athletes are those close to the Olympic qualification times according to the UAF president, Dominic Otuchet as the team was flagged off at Lugogo.

They will compete in the 3,000m steeplechase, long and triple jump, and javelin with short and medium races.

Javelin star, Lalam Josephine Joyce from Police Athletics Club has promised to fight hard to beat the qualifying mark.

Her personal best is 57.01m, while the qualification distance is 64.00m.

She last competed in the Africa Games in Ghana in March but has had serious training in Kenya in the last two months.

"I have been training in Kenya and got new techniques and I hope to qualify,” she said.

Prison Athletics Club athlete Elphas Ndiwa Toroitich said he has to beat off 19 seconds off his personal best of 8:34 to make the qualifying threshold of 8:15 minutes in the 3000m steeplechase.

NCS assistant general secretary in charge of technical matters, David Katende (second right) flagging off the athletics team for the Africa Senior Championships. Photo: Silvano Kibuuka

Leonard Chemtai is also for the 3,000m steeplechase and has only 02 microseconds to shed from his personal best to qualify.

Okallo Charles is for the long and triple jump.

His personal best is 7.62 in the long jump and 15.51 in the triple jump.

400m sprinter Shida Leni is also due to slash off just seconds from the Qualifications time.
 
Head coach Francis Dimayi said that he has a lot of trust in the selected team because they are all near to qualification, though not trained.

"The work at Namboole failed us and they have been having competitions outside the country," noted coach Dimayi.

The other athletes on the contingent are Ronald Musagala, Tom Dradiga, and Haron Adoli for the men.

The other women are Susan Aneno, Knight Aciru, Loice Chekwemoi, and Belinda Chemutai.

The general secretary of NCS in charge of technical matters, David Katende flagged off the team in the presence of the UAF president, Dominic Otuchet.

“We are proud of you. Athletics constitute 80 percent of the qualified athletes from Uganda. Work hard because this is the last qualifier and the next is in four years to come,” Katende cautioned the athletes.