Last week the Uganda Olympic Committee unveiled a roadmap to the July-August Games and indicated that the country could yet send her biggest-ever contingent to the Olympics since the Munich 1972 edition.
UOC general secretary Beatrice Ayikoru, who will also be the team’s Chef de Mission in Tokyo, observed that the 2020 Olympics could create a piece of sporting history for Uganda.
“Never before in the history of Olympics in Uganda have we sent a team with more females than males,” Ayikoru noted.
“But that could be about to change because as things stand, Uganda will most likely have a bigger female representation in Tokyo.”
Uganda’s female representatives will be led by world 800m champion Halima Nakaayi and her compatriot Winnie Nanyondo, who also doubles in the 1500m race. Other qualified ladies include Esther Chebet (1500m), Peruth Chemutai (3000m steeplechase), Stella Chesang, Sarah Chelangat (both 5000m) and marathoners Juliet Chekwel and Immaculate Chemutai.
Rower Kathleen Noble will represent the country in the single scull while Catherine Nanziri will box at flyweight. According to National Council of Sports general secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel, a budget of Shs 8bn has been put in place to cater for preparations and costs for the participating federations and associations and the Uganda Paralympic Committee.
Tokyo 2020 will be the 16th time Uganda participates at the Olympic Games, which are now going into a 36th edition. But unlike all other editions in which Uganda has taken part, this will be the first time the country arrives at the Olympics with a genuine gold medal hopeful.
In Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda will land in Tokyo with the reigning 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder and a glorious superstar of the track. Even without an Olympic gold medal to his name yet, Cheptegei is already ranked as arguably Uganda’s greatest sportsman of all time and Tokyo 2020 has been earmarked as the crowning moment of his legacy.
Should he emulate his form of last year, it is very likely that Cheptegei’s main opponent in the far east will be the clock. Still, he won’t allow any complacency to creep in for this is his golden chance to put a stamp to his undoubted greatness.
Only two Ugandans, John Akii-Bua and Stephen Kiprotich, have won Olympic gold before. Cheptegei will be bidding to join this exclusive list. The other Ugandans to win medals at the Olympics are boxers Leo Rwabogo, who won two in boxing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, Eridadi Mukwanga in 1968, John Mugabi in 1980 and quarter-miler Davis Kamoga in 1996.
Besides Cheptegei and Nakaayi, Uganda’s other medal hopeful will be Jacob Kiplimo who has grown in leaps and bounds since winning the IAAF World Cross-Country Junior Championship at Kololo in 2017.
