Missed opportunity as Nakaayi stuns the world in Doha
What you need to know:
- It’s a kiganda dance, she always responded with a warm smile. Sadly, images populated across different social media platforms showed Uganda’s ‘tourism stall’ in Doha as empty and hollow as the devil’s promises. Missed opportunity? Certainly for Uganda, but not Nakaayi.
Ugandan middle-distance running is enjoying a rich vein of form. Halima Nakaayi put an exclamation mark on this upsurge in fortunes by using a measured kick down the home straight to pull of an upset victory in the women’s 800m final at the ongoing Worlds. The 24-year-old shocked the world and herself by coming up with the goods despite the odds being heavily stacked against her.
Despite winning a bronze medal at the recent African Games in Rabat, Morocco, not much was expected of Nakaayi in Doha, Qatar. Certainly not a gold medal or a national record of one minute and 58.84 seconds in the two-lap event for that matter! Although she always prefers a nudge to a shove while training, the diminutive middle-distance runner’s valiant efforts have always been just that -- valiant.
Valiant doesn’t always warrant an investment of trust, though. Yet here we are! Nakaayi is a world champion. There was so much to like about her smash-and-grab win at Khalifa International Stadium this past week. Her bravery and determination in the face of great odds awakened a deep instinct in many of us. Certainly your humble columnist.
Then there was the pure, unadulterated joy from Nakaayi’s training partner, Winnie Nanyondo. After finishing just a place outside the coveted medal bracket, she would have been forgiven for beating herself up. But, no, she didn’t throw toys out of the pram. She instead showed us all the true spirit of sport. And in being a good sport she also showed us how sport and tourism can dovetail.
Rather than go on a lap of honour, Nakaayi and Nanyondo had instinctively decided to tie the Ugandan flag round their waists and gyrate to imaginary ganda beats. It’s a decision that was greeted with surprise and interest in almost equal measure. Post race, Nakaayi was asked about her kick down the home straight as much as about that dance.
It’s a kiganda dance, she always responded with a warm smile. Sadly, images populated across different social media platforms showed Uganda’s ‘tourism stall’ in Doha as empty and hollow as the devil’s promises. Missed opportunity? Certainly for Uganda, but not Nakaayi.
