African Games: Thrower Lalam hopes to end nation’s three-decade medal wait
Lalam hopes to add to her Africa junior gold. IAAF photo
KAMPALA- Uganda boasts of 40 athletics medals in African Games’ history and 14 are from field events.
The nation has however, not won a field event medal at the Games in 32 years. Even if only two field event athletes were selected for the ongoing edition, teenager Josephine Lalam and her partner Lucy Aber are eager to make their presence felt. Lalam, 18, is hoping to end the three-decade medal wait when they feature in the women’s javelin throw final this afternoon.
Lalam hopes to add to her Africa junior gold (2019) as well as Africa Senior bronze (2018) honours. “I believe I have a chance for a medal,” Lalam said. “Training has been good, here is very hot but the weather won’t affect me,” she stated. The youngster’s best throw is 53.2 metres, a new personal best, as she won the title at the National Championships on July 26.
That distance is the fifth best amongst Africans in 2019 and only South African pair of Olympic silver medallist Sunette Viljoen and Jo-Ane van Dyk, Selma Rosun of Mauritius and Nigerian Promise Kelechi have thrown further.
Lalam meets this quartet in the 11-man field in Rabat.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
7:45pm: Women’s 400m Final
8pm: Men’s 400m Final
8:15pm: Women’s 3000m
Steeplechase Final
8:55pm: Men’s 800m Final
Chess
12pm: Men’s Blitz Individual
