Ugandans learning fast from their Kenyan cousins

Ugandan athletes appear to be learning very fast from their Kenyan cousins across the common border.

There is no gainsaying that Kenyan distance athletics has been dominated by members of the pastoralist and farming Kalenjin tribe from the Rift Valley Province. Acres of words have been written about how they chase antelopes in the countryside or run to and from school.

The Kalenjins best known as world class athletes are from Nandi (Kip Keino and Wilson Kipketer) and Keiyo (Moses Kiptanui and Lornah Kiplagat) and also from the Tugen in Baringo like Paul Tergat. The Kipsigis have produced their stars like William Sigei and John Cheruiyot Koech.

But another small Kalenjin sub-tribe of the Sabaots who live near Mt Elgon along the Kenya-Uganda border, better known as Elgon Masai, have produced a few good runners. The legendary Ben Jipcho, who won Olympic steeplechase silver in 1972, is the torch-bearer of the Sabaots. Edith Masai, who won the 4km senior women's race in Dublin, is also from the Elgon Masai.

But from the performance in Dublin, it appears that Ugandan athletes are the ones learning very fast from their Kenyan cousins.

They live on the Ugandan side of the Kenyan border. In fact, they are, for all practical purposes, Kalenjins. Their features, language, nomenclature and cultural heritage is very much Kalenjin. They herd cattle and own large swathes of farmland in their native Kapchorwa-Kongasis swamp near Kitale, the north Rift Valley provincial town which is popular for producing almost half the supply of Kenyan maize.

A stranger would be forgiven to believe that Boniface Kiprop and Martin Toroitich are Kenyans. Until one checks their nationality, they would easily pass for Kenyans. With Paul Wakou and Francis Musani, they gave Uganda a deserved team bronze medal in Dublin.

Kiprop won a bronze medal behind Ethiopia's winner Gebregziabher Gebremariam and Kenyan runner-up Abel Cheruiyot. In fact, he ran very well and only lost the top two positions through inexperience.

His younger brother Toroitich finished in 11th position while Wakou and Musani were 15th and 17th respectively.

The other athletes who were to travel to Dublin - Patrick Cheboto and Moses Kipsiro - did not have passports and were left behind. Uganda thus entered only the four to earn team points. They did their small east African nation, hitherto known only for the 1972 Olympics 400m hurdles champion John Akii-Bua, proud.

It was the third successive year that the Ugandan juniors won a team bronze medal. Musani, Toroitich and Wakou will next year run the senior men's race. They still go to school in Kampala where they also train for international meetings.

As part of their preparation for the Dublin meeting, they participated in the Ethiopian trials where Kiprop finished sixth, Toroitich 55th and Kipsiro 65th. Girma Assefa won the race while Gebremariam, who won in Dublin, was third.    

Borrowing a leaf from their Kenyan cousins whose success on the track and terrain has made them immeasurably rich, the athletics world can brace up for some world-class performances by the Ugandans in the not-too-distant future.

Omulo Okoth for the IAAF