Not long before it is Nakaayi of Norway

Every once in a while, Uganda produces a Halimah Nakaayi. We see them on television doing stuff they have no business doing and we scream out of shock. But we should really be crying out of guilt because deep down we know we are the fellows who show up at their bottle-party empty handed and leave higher than clouds.

Why I ask, does it take the surprise conquests of our champions to make us crawl out of the wood? Why do we make it lonely at the bottom for the Nakaayi and scramble to crowd them off their pedestals when their efforts bear fruit? Why do we pronounce our Ugandaness now at the hour of victory, when we suitably shelf it when it’s needed most by these athletes, as they go about overcoming ridiculous odds and forgoing incredulous temptations?

I will spare you tales of the hard work that makes champions. What isn’t common however, is the temptations they must push aside to run for us.

The thing is that when you shine at the World Championships, there are more lucrative and less conventional offers than prize money and sponsorship deals. For instance, it is alleged Joshua Cheptegei turned down a $500,000 citizenship offer from the Saudis in 2017.

But here is the uncomfortable question. Will this always be the case for him or others and why?
I guarantee you it won’t be long before one of our elite athletes gets turned by stories of plenty from Arop of Canada or Chelimo of the USA. Remember, some of these better facilitated athletes aren’t even half as talented as our runners.

And when you get to the math proper; barring injury, the career of a Uganda elite athlete will at most, turnover about $150,000, a double cabin pickup, and a modest bungalow. The rich nations on the other hand, are waving around triple that in return for the inconvenience of an exotic middle name.

And, our elite runners are tuned into this. They also hear the appeals for support from their extended families, and the taunting of those amongst us who point out that when it comes to a tender for our labour, national pride rarely beats the commercial sensibility of the highest bidder.

And so am convinced that one day, probably in the middle of yet another empty speech at those state dinners, it is going to occur to some of our runners to consider their circumstances. They will be thankful for the food and the benevolence of the Uganda Revenue Authority.

But they will also note that after the flowery speeches they must return to the hills to share rooms, meagre meals and a dirt track because the pledge to build a proper training facility hasn’t yet been honoured. Then they will imagine how many questions $500,000 can answer.

And yes, it would be embarrassing to us if our champions ranked economics over national pride. But by all indications we are headed for a collision with this humiliation and we don’t seem to care.