Namutebi rules Namibia

KAMPAlA. Kirabo Namutebi joins Nabil Saleh on the lonely list of Ugandan swimmers that have won gold medals at the Cana Zone IV Championships.
Nabil, 17, won his golds as a 14 year old in Mauritius 2016 (100m back) and last year in Malawi (50m free).

Namutebi, swimming in the 13-14 years girls’ category, got hers in the 50m fly and will be daring to go again in the 50m free as the fifth edition that climaxes today in Windhoek, Namibia.

She made a new personal best (30.50) en route to gold moments after winning silver in the 50 backstroke (32.87) and bronze in the 200m breaststroke (3:07.30) on Monday.
The championship had started on a tough note for Uganda as no one could really explain why Windhoek was suddenly turned cold on Saturday.

Frozen Namibia
Team Uganda’s 13 swimmers and their coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi had at least been told to expect hot temperatures. And they were indeed greeted to that on Friday.
On Saturday, lowly maintained temperatures at the Olympia Municipal Pool were not helped by a sudden downpour as temperatures in Windhoek reportedly dropped to below 30 degrees centigrade.

“The pool is very cold and the swimmers are complaining that they cannot kick,” Muwanguzi said. Going by results, most swimmers were hit hard during the 100m backstroke event but the trend has continued with many swimmers across the 14 participating countries struggling to make PBs.

Sunday was a return to normalcy but the pool remained cold for those training as 14 year olds Daryl Kyabayinze and Hayyan Kisitu gave a shot at the open water swimming event in the Oanob Dam. Kisitu returned with silver while Kyabayinze finished fourth in their age group. “We shall have to get on with it,” Muwanguzi said of the unpredictable weather conditions in Namibia.

And they have – especially, Shane Birungi who won Uganda’s first medal – bronze in the 12 and under boys’ 50m breast – in Namibia dropping 2.33 seconds to touch home at 37.69. By press time yesterday, he had three PBs from five events and is expected to make the podium in the 100m breast.

COLLATED RESULTS - CANA
GOLD
G: 13-14 years – 50m fly
Kirabo Namutebi – 30.50
SILVER
G: 13-14 years – 50m back
Kirabo Namutebi – 32.87
B: open water – 500m
Hayyan Kisitu
G: 17 and over – 50m fly
Avice Meya – 31.40
BRONZE
B: 12 and under – 50m breast
Shane Birungi – 37.69
G: 13-14 years – 50m breast
Kirabo Namutebi – 35.65
G: 13-14 years – 200m breast
Kirabo Namutebi – 3:07.30
G: 17 and over – 50m breast
Avice Meya – 39.50

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