By Javier Silas Omagor
Uganda’s team of budding athletes has touched base in the Colombian city of Cali ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Junior Championships.
Seasoned coach Charles Mukiibi was appointed to lead the 12 member squad comprising long distance, middle distance and short distance runners.
Mukiibi will be assisted by Annie Sarah Nankya, the Administrative Secretary at National Council of Sports (NCS) while Florence Onziru is the Chaperon of the team.
The contingent that has been camping at Trinity Biblical Institute – TBI Kapchorwa national camp left Uganda at 11:00pm, Thursday night, July 28 2022.
The surprise development sees the reigning World University Cross Country Champion Aviero Portugal 2022 Dismas Yeko being omitted from the traveling team.
Yeko is probably the country’s most on-form junior athlete at the moment having also won double gold in 5000m and 10000m at the All Africa University Games, Nairobi, Kenya two months ago.
Besides that Yeko is the back-to-back U20 defending champion in the national cross country championships, Tororo, Uganda.
It is a shame that passport related issues have prevented Yeko from attempting to continue his impressive run of form.
In his place, the 10,000m and 5,000m specialist Peter Maru, fresh from his debut in Oregon, will join up with the team alongside Emmanuel Oyet.
Oyet who is based in Jamaica is the sprinter who is entered for 400m distance and he will be in company of his Jamaican coach.
Immensely talented pair of Dan Kibet and Rogers Kibet coached by Olympics gold medallists Joshua Cheptegei and Peruth Chemutai’s Global Sports Communication Agency Coach Addy Ruiter, were entered.
The World outdoor cross country championships Belgium 2022 silver medallist Prisca Chesang Chemweno is part of the team.
Uganda national cross-country championships 2022 gold winner in the junior women category, Scarlet Patrick Chebet is one of the top medal hopefuls.
Loice Chekwemoi, Ndiwa Torotich and Maureen Chebet are also in the mix and all together, the under 20 national team is determined to make Uganda proud in Cali.
Running from 1 to 6 of August, Cali city was cleared to play host to the prestigious amateur event that has produced the world’s best runners over the years.
Cali already hosted the 2015 2015 World Youth Championships in Athletics and this year the games will be staged at Estadio Olimpico Pascual Guerrero.
The World Junior Championships occurs immediately after the World Athletics Championships – the senior version which concluded early this week at Oregon State in the USA.
