Team Uganda out perform at the just concluded Common Wealth games

Uganda participated in the 21st Commonwealth Games with 69 athletes and 34 officials. The team comprised of 11 sports disciplines; 9 individual sports and 2 teams. In addition to this, Government officials from Ministry of Education and Sports, National Council of Sports and Uganda High Commission in Australia as well as Members of Parliament attended the games. 

Prior to departure for the games, the federations organized various training sessions for the teams.. Athletics team trained at 3 different venue; residential camp in Bukwo and Kapchorwa for Marathon and  long distance. Non residential training for sprints and middle distance at Namboole in Kampala. Badminton athletes (3 local based) trained  at the Kampala Club, Nakasero. Boxers underwent residential camp Kavumba recreation centre, Wakiso. Cyclists trained in Kenya and in Kampala.

Netball team had non residential training at Lugogo and Namboole. The athletes also toured the country for friendly tournaments in Northern, Eastern and Western parts of the country and travelled to Barbados for friendly matches.

Rugby team did residential and non residential training in Jinja and Kampala as part of training for the games. They also participated in a friendly tournament in Zimbabwe (22nd – 26th March) and World Rugby Series Hong Kong (4 – 8th April 2018) before they competed in the Games.

The lady shooter trained at Kigo shooting range, ,Wakiso. The 2 squash athletes had non residential training at Kampala Club, Nakasero and also traveled to Kenya for regional tournament and part of build up. The female swimmer trained in Kampala while the Male athlete based in Iowa USA had training from the university where he is studying. Table tennis athletes were in non residential training at Kololo S.S while the weightlifters were in non residential training camp at Kasubi, Kampala as the USA based athletes joined them later on.

The team performed well, best ever since the games came to be known as the Commonwealth Games in 1974. Overall the team was placed 15th out of 43 countries that won medals. 

No. Category Details
1. Medals 6 medals: 3 Gold Medals (Athletics – Joshua Cheptegei (5,000m & 10,000m), Stella Chesang (10,000m 1 Silver (Athletics – Solomon Mutai (marathon) and 2 Bronze (Athletics – Mercyline Chelangat (10,000m) and Boxing – Juma Miiro (46 – 49kg)
2. Records Commonwealth Games Record in 10,000m by Joshua Cheptegei;

2 National Records in Swimming 50m freestyle and 50m

Butterfly by Elisha Tibetamwa Ekirukubinza

3. Personal Best 7 Personal Best times and weights in Athletics (Albert Chemutai – 3000m SC and Winnie Nanyondo 1500m),

Swimming (Avice Meya – 50m free style & Elisha Tibetamwa Ekirukubinza 50m freestyle and 50m Butterfly), and Weightlifting – Irene Kasubo, Cycling (road race Charles Kagimu)

4. Improved ranking Netball – from 7th to 6th position
5. Best performance Badminton – Brian Kasirye (round of 16), Cycling (road race

Charles Kagimu), Squash (Ian Rukunya and Michael

Kawooya – winning individual preliminary matches)

6. Season Best Athletics (Juliet Chekwel – 5,000m), Swimming Avice Meya (50m Butterfly)

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