IAAF’s Legnani challenges Kampala to match Mombasa
IAAF’s Legnani with some of the Daily Monitor sports scribes (from left) Makhtum Muziransa, Darren Allan Kyeyune, Mark Namanya, Twaha Mukisa, Abdul-Nasser Semugabi and Fred Musisi Kiyingi. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
Athletics. Uganda will host the 41st IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in March 2017
KAMPALA.
For the journalists who cover the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) events, Anna Legnani is a familiar figure.
She is the Deputy Director of Communications for the world athletics body. And because Uganda is set to host the IAAF World Cross-country Championships next year.
It is that reason that Legnani was on a two-day working visit to Uganda ahead of the global event due March 26 at Kololo Independence ground.
Prior to her departure yesterday, Legnani visited Monitor Publications offices in company of sports editor Mark Namanya, later talking about her stay in the Pearl of Africa.
“It has been wonderful,” Legnani said. “The people of Uganda are welcoming and it is important that they are taking the preparations for the World x-country serious,” she offered.
It is not Legnani’s first visit to East Africa. In 2007, she was in Mombasa for the same event. She reckons Kololo has some better things.
“The weather here is better. And the pavilion stand in Kololo means we will not be setting up so many temporary structures,” Legnani remarked.
“So that means we will cut on the costs in the area as the stand can be used for the media among other things.”
But Kololo must beat Mombasa to some other aspects. “Mombasa has huge crowds that turned up for the event. I hope Kampala does the same in March.”
While here Legnani visited Kololo, checking out on the progress of the course. “The works process is going on well. We expect some more grass to be planted by January,” the Italian noted.
She will return to Kampala on January 14 for the World x-country test event whichdoubles as the National Cross-country championships.
Meanwhile, Team Uganda has been in camp since November 4 with with females at Arua Athletics club camp in Kapkoros while the males at Standard High in Amanang.
Part of that bunch will partake in the MTN Kampala Marathon at Kololo on Sunday.
PAST IAAF X-COUNTRY HOSTS
2015: Guiyang, China
2013: Bydgoszcz, Poland
2011: Punta Umbria, Spain
2010: Bydgoszcz, Poland
2009: Amman, Jordan
2008: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2007: Mombasa, Kenya
2006: Fukuoka, Japan
2005: Saint-Galmier, France
2004: Brussels, Belgium
2003: Lausanne, Switzerland
