Taxi driver’s son Mayanja hopes to make most of London event

Eager & Anxious. Mayanja has the character to continue raising his stock. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA

As the 2015 season was winding down, many familiar faces were putting their final touches in Namboole ahead of the Beijing World Championships.

For Abubaker Mayanja, he was still grasping the basic details of Ugandan athletics.

He was only a new comer, always in company of his training partner Ronald Musagala and coach Raphael Kasaija.
The calm lad had joined Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) club as a middle-distance runner after graduating in Industrial Art at Kampala University.

Such humble beginnings are the memories that flashed in the minds of many on July 20 when Mayanja stunned the small crowd in Namboole to qualify for the imminent London World Championships over the 800m race. “It was a bit tough but I am so happy,” Mayanja said after posting a new personal best time of one minute and 45.73 seconds to win semi-final Heat 3 at the National Track and Field Championships.

This, with much assistance coming from his partner and pace-setter Musagala, had come as a big relief for Mayanja having failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics by 85 microseconds.

Perhaps, Mayanja cannot regret his decision of chosing athletics over cycling and football while in Primary Seven at Ntenjeru Public School in Mukono, nine years ago.

Soccer start
“I used to like playing football because of Jay Jay Okocha. But when I joined Standard High in Senior Two in 2010, that is when I got serious with athletics.” It is here where he dropped his favourite race - the 10,000m - to focus on the 800m and 1,500m after advice from coach Michael Ssali and his present-day tutor Kasaija.
“Kennenisa Bekele was my icon so I wanted to run like him. But my coaches were right because I always found the 10,000m difficult.”

After just two years in competitive athletics, Mayanja will be in London, sharing the stage with the world’s best like eight-time Jamaican Olympic champion Usain Bolt among others.

Many have come and failed to hit the required standards.
“It is difficult to compete and qualify for big events from Uganda because there are not many good runners here to push you,” he says. In 2013, Musagala became the first athlete in 17 years to qualify for the Worlds or Olympics on home soil. Thomas Ayeko and Halima Nakaayi did the same last year before Mayanja joined that small cast.
“We have been struggling with Musagala since 2010. He made me qualify and I thank him so much. He is a brother and we now plan to work harder even after London.”

Mayanja credited the 1500m national record holder. Besides Musagala and Mayanja, Uganda will have 18 more runners in a contingent that flies to England next week.

MAYANJA AT A GLANCE

Full Name: Abubaker Mayanja
Date of Birth: October 9, 1995
Club: Uganda Wildlife Authority
Major Event: 800m, 1500m
Personal Best: 1:45.73 (800m)
Coach: Raphael Kasaija
Schools: Ntenjeru Public School,
Mukono
High, Standard High, Kampala University
Education: Industrial Art (2014)
Favourite Colour: Green
Phone: idroid