Six teenagers qualify for U-20 Worlds
Triumphed. Nyamahunge won the women’s 100am dash at Namboole Stadium on Saturday. PHOTO/ISMAIL KEZAALA
Uganda may be already safe with some medal hopefuls for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but there are unanswered questions thereafter.
The Global Sports Communication team under their camp in Kapchorwa is working to find new talent which can take over from mentors Joshua Cheptegei, Stephen Kiprotich, Halimah Nakaayi and Peruth Chemutai.
Coach Addy Ruiter will be impressed that his budding stars are trotting the line with the Los Angeles 2028 Games in sight after two of his athletes qualified for the Cali World U20 Championships at the weekend.
Rogers Kibet is among the top five runners who beat the 3000m qualifying mark to the Cali U20 Worlds after he came second in a time of seven minutes and 51.2 seconds during the Fourth National Trials at Namboole.
“Like planned, taking the lead from the beginning, a 7:50 in Namboole is strong,” coach Ruiter said.
The race was won by Dismas Yeko of Ndejje University in 7:50.5sec. The two runners featured at last year’s World U20 Championships in Kenya but they were novices.
Yeko in February won the junior men’s 8km title at the National Cross-country Championships in Tororo. Kibet meanwhile took three podium finishes on the European Cross-country circuit in Spain and Portugal.
His training partner Dan Kibet already qualified for the 5000m race in Cali. And Ruiter is confident Kibet will try to qualify for the 10000m ticket to the senior Oregon World Championships in June.
Meanwhile, Martin Kiprotich of Police came third in 8:06.6 and also beat the qualifying standard of 8:15.00 to Cali, Colombia.
Ruiter’s other student Hosea Kiprop won the 3000m steeplechase in 8:57.4 to beat the qualifying standard of 9:08.00 to Cali.
UAF 4th National Trials
Select RESULTS – WOMEN’S 400M
1.Shida Leni Police 53.58
2.Emily Nanziri Police 55.29
3.Maureen Banura Police 56.84
WOMEN’S 1500M
1.Halimah Nakaayi UWA 4:12.67
2.Janat Chemusto Police 4:13.46
3.Knight Aciru Prisons 4:14.86
MEN’S 200M
1.Benson Okot Agago 20.96
2.Pius Adome Police 21.54
3.Joshua Jagalo Police 21.74
MEN’S 3000M U20
1.Dismas Yeko Ndejje 7:50.5
2.Rodgers Kibet KCCA 7:51.2
3.Martin Kiprotich Police 8:06.6
MEN’S 10000M
1.Silas Boshi Police 28:44.4
2.Ali Chebures UWA 28:44.8
3.Kevin Kibet Prisons 28:51.0
