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The World Cross Country Championship proved to be a significant platform for Uganda to showcase its athletic talents, and there is hope to continue building on this momentum for future competitions.
State Minister for Sports, Hon Peter Ogwang, has promised to lobby for more support for Ugandan athletes after witnessing first hand the challenges they faced in preparing for the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
The Minister commended the players, coaches, and the athletics federation, led by Dominic Otucet and Beatrice Ayikoru, for doing their best and performing exceptionally well in the championship.
At the championships, Uganda picked up four medals, including a team gold medal, earning bronze for the third overall best performance.
Ogwang, who led Uganda’s contingent to Bathurst acknowledged the need for greater support to strengthen the athletes' performance in future competitions.
The minister also pledged to forward his findings and report to the senior minister, First Lady Janet Museveni, to bridge the gaps identified during the competition.
“The players, coaches, and the athletics federation led by Dominic Otucet and Beatrice Ayikoru did their best, and I want to thank them for the job well done,” Ogwang said.
“But we need to strengthen, and I will work together with my senior minister (First Lady Janet Museveni) to ensure that our team is able to perform much better in future,” he added.
Uganda won a total of four medals: one gold and three bronze medals at the prestigious championship.
Jacob Kiplimo, the Commonwealth double gold champion, produced a gold-winning masterpiece that was the highlight of the team's performance.
Joshua Cheptegei, the World and Olympics Champion, competing in only his second race since returning from an injury, cruised to a podium individual finish in the senior men 10km category.
World Junior back-to-back bronze winner Prisca Chesang inspired the senior women to an impressive show, on her senior debut at the cross-country championships, which also fetched a team bronze medal for the ladies.
In the junior men's race, Dan Kibet, was denied an individual bronze medal by the finest of margins at the expense of Ethiopian Boki Diriba.
Despite commendable individual performances from the Ugandans in the Junior men’s category, they failed to secure a team medal after failing to register the minimum number of athletes due to visa-related constraints.
In the junior women's race, the team finished fourth overall, behind Ethiopia, Kenya, and the USA. The team of young athletes performed commendably, with enough room for improvement if they stay focused and work in training.
The entire team showed relentlessness, except for their struggles in the 4x2km mixed relay, where Ronald Musagala and the team placed 9th in the category position after being overtaken by Kenya, Ethiopia, Australia, the USA, Morocco, and Canada.
The World Cross Country Championship proved to be a significant platform for Uganda to showcase its athletic talents, and there is hope to continue building on this momentum for future competitions.
With the government's commitment to providing more support, Ugandan athletes can look forward to better preparations and greater success in the years to come.
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