Kampala, UgandaUgandan middle distance champion Catharine Webombesa was the best performer at the 9th edition of the John Akii-Bua memorial track and field championship on Saturday 9 June at the Mandela stadium, Namboole, 8km away from the Ugandan capital of Kampala.
Eastern African senior championships 800m champion Webombesa booked her place for next month’s All Africa Games when she ran her seasonal best time of 4:21.0 to win the 1500m, which also saw her qualifying the African event that will be held in Algiers, Algeria.
“I came to this stadium with a big hope of qualifying for the All Africa Games and am happy for making it to the team,” said a proud Webombesa.
In the men’s division, the former Africa junior championships silver medallist Waiswa Lukungu crossed the finish line with 53.4 to win the 400m Hurdles and won the 400m flat race where he clocked his season’s best time of 46.7 beating Uganda Christian University’s Julius Mutekenga who crossed with 47.4. Both were hand timed.
Legend
The meeting is named after Akii-Bua is Uganda’s only Olympic medallist. His World record winning time of 47.82 when winning the men’s 400m Hurdles at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games is still Uganda’s national record.
On June 17 1997, the legend was laid to rest in his ancestral village in Lira, Northern part of Uganda after suffering from a long illness. Akii-Bua was accorded a state funeral due to his Olympic Gold.
“We still believe John is still leaving and this Akii-Bua memorial will be held annually and very soon will turn into an invitational competition in which the entire world will be invited,” said Peter Okot Omony, the technical vice president of Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF).
Daniel Senfuma for IAAF
Selected results
Men
100m
1. Mudoola Osman (King of Kings) 10.9
2. Geoffrey Achiria (Police) 11.0
3. Denis Olupot (Prisons) 11.3
200m
1. Mudoola Osman (Kings of Kings) 22.3
2. Akulla Ramdthan (Gombe) 22.4
3. Draman Omara (Police) 22.5
400m
1. Waiswa Lukungu (Kakira) 46.7 SB
2. Julius Mutenkenga (UCU) 47.4
3. Ramdthan Akulla (Gombe) 48.4
10,000m
1. Patrick Cherotwo (UPDF) 29:44.8
2. Philip Baryaruha (UCU) 30:30.4
3,000m steeplechase
1. Simon Ayeko (KIU) 8:46.8
400m Hurdles
1. Waiswa Lukungu (Kakira) 53.8
2. Silas Okello (Ndejje) 55.1
Long Jump
1. Andrew Okot (Gombe) 6.81
2. Joseph Emitu (UPDF) 6.33
Women
100m
1. Emmanuella Oroma (MAK) 12.6
2. Linah Abok (Gombe) 13.2
200m
1. Linah Abok (Gombe) 26.3
2. Emmanuella Oroma (MAK) 26.6
400m
1. Janet Achola (Prisons) 59.2
2. Emmanuella Oroma (MAK) 60.8
1500m
1. Catherine Webombesa (UPDF) 4:21.0
2. Adero Nyakisi (Prisons) 4:22.5
5,000m
1. Annet Negesa (King of Kings) 17:04.6
2. Grace Chesang (UPDF) 17:38.4
3. Immaculate Chemutai (MAK) 18:39.1
