Athletics: UAF Launches Olympic Games Program

Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) has on Monday morning launched the Olympic Games Program as 2020 competition season gets to its climax.

This year’s activities will end on the 28th of November 2020 with the National Mountain Running championships in Kapchorwa.

The launched 2021 program that leads to the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games kick starts with the 1st track and field Trials slated for January 23rd in Kampala.

The Federation has therefore lined up 15 track and field local competitions and four internationals in the 2021 season geared towards assisting more athletes to qualify for the Olympics.

The 21 Ugandan athletes who have already met the Olympics entry will be eligible for the final selection together with other athletes who will qualify within the extended qualification period.

Due to the uneven training and competition opportunities around the world during the Coronavirus pandemic, World Athletics announced on 7th April that the qualification period (for all events) was postponed from 6 April to 30 November 2020.

The same national competitions will also be used by the Federation to select a national team for the postponed World Athletics U-20 Track and field Championships now scheduled to take place on August 17 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The 2021 calendar also includes the newly introduced Mt Elgon and Rwenzori Mountain road races aimed at creating awareness on dangers of environmental destruction in the country.

In another development, the 2020 season that was adversely affected by the Corona pandemic lockdown now climaxes with the National Mountain Running championships slated for November 29 in Kapchorwa.

The National Mountain competition marks the 3rd event that has been organized by UAF in the entire 2020 season owing to the COVID 19 pandemic clamp down.

This however comes at the backdrop of the fabulous 2020 season for Uganda Athletics Federation dominated by emphatic performances on the world scene spearheaded by Joshua Cheptegei’s new world Records and national records shots in 5km (12:51), 5000m (12:35:36), and the historical world Half Marathon team bronze medal.

He was also voted for producing the World Athletics August’s moment of the month after setting a new 5000m World record.

Other exploits included Jacob Kiplimo winning a historic World Half Marathon gold medal on top of team bronze, 3000m New World leading time and National Record (WL/NR 7:26.64) and Half Marathon (58:49) National Record, 5000m Ostrava Golden Spike (12:48.63) meet Record.

Stephen Kissa and Victor Kiplagat teamwork also produced the historic World Half Marathon team bronze medal exploits.

Also on song in the season highlighted by Covid-19 sporting activity restrictions, were new National Record broken by Halima Nakaayo 2:32:12 (1000m), Sarah Chelangat 31:06:46 (10,000m), Juliet Chekwel 1:08:44 (Half Marathon).

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