With a total of 6 medals (three gold, a silver, and two bronze), Uganda finished 15th on the medal table at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG), the country’s best performance ever at the event.
As the event kicks off today in Birmingham, Uganda will once again have a very tall order to replicate those hauls. Over 60 athletes are set to represent the black-yellow-red flag.
Uganda will be represented in eleven sports disciplines; rugby, wrestling, squash, netball, swimming, para-swimming, table tennis, badminton, cycling, boxing, and athletics.
The Ugandan contingent that arrived in England on Monday was captained by Michael Wokorach, who is also the national rugby 7’s captain.
Uganda has won a total of 53 medals at the Commonwealth Games. With this upcoming event, the country is hopeful that new heroes will emerge, but here are some of the key athletes to keep an eye on.
Joshua Cheptegei
Though reports indicate that world champion Joshua Cheptegei might opt out of the event, he is Uganda’s biggest bet when it comes to medals. Cheptegei won two gold medals at the last edition of the Commonwealth Games that happened in Gold Coast, Australia.
Four years later, Cheptegei has maintained the same hunger for success. If he decides to take part in either the 5000m or 10000m or even both, we tip him to bring a medal home.
Stella Chesang
Stella Chesang will be hoping to defend the 10000m medal that she won in 2018. Despite finishing 14th at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Oregon, she ran a 31:01.04 time to set a new National Record for Uganda in the Women’s 10,000m.
Jacob Kiplimo
Jacob Kiplimo’s ability to scoop a podium finish can never be doubted. Kiplimo has kept growing himself into a formidable athlete and he must be burning to get hands-on with his first commonwealth games medal.
Boxing
Of Uganda’s 53 medals won at the Commonwealth Games since 1958, 22 have been won by boxers, with three bronze medals from the last two editions. Six boxers are representing Uganda, and hopes are there for a medal.
The boxing team includes Teddy Nakimuli(Flyweight), Joshua Tukamuhebwa (Light Welter) (Captain), Jonah Kyobe(Featherweight), Owen Kibira (Welterweight), Isaac Zebra Ssenyange (Light Middle), and Yusuf Nkobeza (Middleweight).
She Cranes
She Cranes qualified for the Commonwealth Games after winning the Pent Series Africa Netball Championship in Namibia.
This will be their second appearance at the event. They impressed on their maiden appearance in 2018 as they finished sixth after picking up three wins against Malawi, Wales, and Scotland.
However, out of the group, they failed to beat South Africa to fifth place. The team hopes to return with utmost vigor and break into the medal bracket. Team captain Peace Procsovia will be pivotal if the team is to register success. Uganda is ranked second in Africa.
She Cranes Fixture.
Saturday 30th July 2022
New Zealand, 18:00
Sunday 31st July 2022
Trinidad and Tobago, 18:30
Tuesday 2nd August 2022
England, 18:30
Wednesday 3rd Aug 2022
Nothern Ireland, 12:00
Thursday 4th August 2022
Malawi, 14:00
Uganda Rugby 7’s team
Despite the team not having the best Commonwealth Games history as they have been semi-finalists three times in 2006, 2010, and 2014, and hardly made it out of the group stages in 2018, the team qualified unbeaten in the Rugby Africa 7s.
Also, head coach Tolbert Onyango said that the 13-man-squad is in much better shape to challenge at the event.
The Uganda 7s are in pool D alongside Kenya 7s, Australia, and Jamaica.
The Uganda 7s are set to lock horns with neighboring Kenya on July 29th and will have to keep the sparkle up.