First Lady Janet Museveni leads Olympics team

KAMPALA- First Lady Janet Museveni will have her first international sports assignment when she leads Uganda’s delegation to the Olympic Games starting next Friday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The First Lady takes up the Olympics assignment by the virtue of her position as the newly-appointed Education, Science, Technology and Sports minister.
State minister for sports Charles Bakkabulindi, Sports Commissioner Omara Apitta and National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Bosco Onyiki, are the other government diginitaries travelling with the team.

Uganda already has an advance team in Rio as chef de mission Ambrose Tashobya and Ugandan Olympic Committee (UOC) administrator Elijah Njawuzi left last Tuesday.

Team doctor Robert Zavuga and chaperon Annet Nakamya travelled on Saturday while boxers Ronald Serugo and Kennedy Katende as well as their coach Sam Rukundo also left their Sweden base the same day.

The bigger batch of Team Uganda, including all track and field participants, departs on August 7.

Marathoners, led by defending champion Stephen Kiprotich, will be the last to check into the Games Village as they depart from Entebbe on August 15. Kiprotich is currently training in Kenya.

Unlike previous editions in which delegation heads have watched the Games from start to finish, Mrs Museveni will miss the bigger part of the action. According to the team’s travel schedule, which this newspaper has seen, she leaves Kampala on August 18.

She will, however, be in time to watch Kiprotich attempting to defend his marathon gold on August 21, the last day of the Games.

Just like London 2012 when Kiprotich won gold on the final day of the Games when Ugandans had lost hope for a medal, the champion will again shoulder the country’s burdens in Rio. He will run alongside Jackson Kiprop and Solomon Mutai in the gruelling 42.195km event.
World junior champion, Joshua Cheptegei, is also tipped to do well in the 10,000m.

UGANDA’S OLYMPICS DELEGATION
Janet Museveni (Minister)
Charles Bakkabulindi (Minister)
Omara Apitta (Commissioner)
Bosco Onyik (NCS chairman)
Nicholas Muramagi (NCS g. secretary)
William Blick (UOC president)
Donald Rukare (UOC g. secretary) Ambrose Tashobya (Chef de mission) Cedric Ndilima (Team manager)
Elijah Njawuzi (Administrator) Annet Nakamya (Team chaperone)
Veronica Sampieri (Physiotherapist)
Robert Zavuga (Team doctor)
Domenic Otucet (Athletics coach)
Faustino Kiwa (Athletics coach)
Grace Chesang (Athletics coach)
Max Kanyerezi (Swimming coach)
Sam Rukundo (Boxing coach)
Stephen Kiprotich (Marathon) Solomon Mutai (Marathon) Kiprop Jackson (Marathon) Adero Nyakisi (Marathon) Joshua Cheptegei (10000m)
Timothy Toroitich (10000m)
Moses Kurong (10000m)
Juliet Chekwel (10000m)
Philip Kipyeko (5000m)
Stella Chesang (5000m)
Jacob Kiplimo (5000m)
Benjamin Kiplagat (Steeplechase)
Jacob Araptany (Steeplechase)
Peruth Chemutai (Steeplechase)
Ronald Musagala (1500m)
Winnie Nanyondo (800m)
Halima Nakaayi (800m)
Kennedy Katende (Boxing)
Ronald Serugo (Boxing)
Joshua Ekirikubinza (Swimming)
Jamila Lunkuse (Swimming)