Running track at Namboole gives hope to Ugandan athletes

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) sees renewed prospects following the restoration of the Mandela National Stadium’s running track, almost four years after the stadium was closed for renovation.

While football fans and players lamented the absence of a home stadium for the Uganda Cranes, the UAF faced similar setbacks, as Namboole was the only venue offering a tartan track for sprinters and middle-distance runners. With its closure, athletes were left without a proper facility to train and compete.

Uganda Athletics Federation President Dominic Otuchet told URN that, unlike long-distance athletes who can find solace in the road race to meet qualification standards, sprinters faced challenges when there is no tartan.

“The difficulties that we went through as a federation in the previous season were tough. For sprinters and also middle distance athletes, so much depend on tartan for them to qualify for international events, it is very difficult for them to qualify on grass, or swindlers like the one at UCU” Otuchet said.

“For distance athletes, they have so many options, they can even qualify on the road. but not the same with sprinters and middle distances athletes,” The President added.

In 2022, it was reported that Shida Leni, Uganda’s sole sprinter at the Commonwealth Games, struggled to find suitable training facilities at home. Like many sprinters, she needed access to a tartan track at least three times a week.

However, with Namboole closed, she resorted to Kyambogo Stadium, which failed to meet her training needs.

Since 2021, UAF had to cancel several National Track and Field Trials due to the lack of a venue, eventually moving the events to Uganda Christian University in Mukono.

“We have a sprinter who missed out on the Olympics because we didn’t have a stadium here, by the time he started posting good times, the Olympic Games qualification period was ending, and he couldn’t make it there, the same thing with many other athletes,”

Otuchet told URN that the Federation was also burdened with the high cost of sending athletes abroad to train on appropriate tracks which sometimes was too late.

“Last time people would not know that we spent a lot of money to send our athletes to Nairobi, some athletes even decided to put camp in Nairobi and we had to support them. others we supported them in going to Europe to try to qualify, and it was expensive for us,”

The President also said that it is now time for sprint coaches to start preparing athletes for the new season. “As we begin the new season, we hope our sprinters (quarter milers). Our athletes are looking forward to qualifying for world relays, and it is now going to be much easier, so we now going to coordinate,” he said.

Otuchet further told this reporter that the tartan track also comes at a significant time for the UAF as they celebrate their centenary. Otuchet revealed that the federation plans to host several international events to mark 100 years of existence.

“Next season is very significant not because we have the world championships, but because we are making 100 years as a federation, there are so many activities we going to put in place to celebrate a centenary. One of the things we are looking for is hosting the eastern region championship, we shall also vie to host the Africa u18 and u20, and maybe a Pan African event.”

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URN