Astros take promising lead into Uganda Swimming League recess

Still holding out. Captain Paula Nabukeera and her Astros teammates are still enjoying a commendable 83-point lead at the top of the table. PHOTO / ISMAIL KEZAALA

What you need to know:

  • The pressure to perform could not be better depicted than in the low scoring Match 16, where the three teams from Altona Swim Club managed a combined 265 points, last Friday evening at British School of Kampala, Muyenga.

The Uganda Swimming League takes a much needed two weeks break to allow the participants refresh.

The pressure to perform could not be better depicted than in the low scoring Match 16, where the three teams from Altona Swim Club managed a combined 265 points, last Friday evening at British School of Kampala, Muyenga.

That is just five points more than the average points (260.4) that bottom-placed Colts have put up in 16 matches.

“The break should give the team managers some time to reflect and recompose a few things,” league manager Erick Kisero, said.

“We did not want to kill the momentum and fun but the pressure is building within the teams and we also have to think of the National Club Championships coming up in less than seven weeks,” he added about the competition that is now regularly watched and supported by Olympian Kirabo Namutebi and her brother Tendo Mukalazi.

Disqualification galore

The two were, however, treated to a disqualifications galore on Friday. Namutebi, by the way, was among the pool deck officials and kept keen interest in watching that the strokes were not flouted.

Colts suffered two of the dreaded decisions in the individual 125m butterfly races, where each team sent its best seven swimmers, hence collecting just 69 points compared to Astros’ 83 and Talons’ 73.

Astros were the penalised and docked 20 points in the 12x75m breastroke relay when one of their swimmers was adjudged to have sailed through with a scissor kick.

Talons won a breaststroke relay for the first time to get 80 points while Colts had 60.

Shortly after, the pressure started to mount and the carelessness took over in the 14*25m backstroke relay, where all three teams were disqualified and docked 20 points.

Since the swimmers had to enter the water to push off from the wall, the backstroke relay became a bevy of early starts. Instead of touching the wall to complete their laps, the swimmers were mostly touching the backs of those taking over the baton instead.

In the 9x75m relay, both Colts and Talons were disqualified for early starts thereby allowing the careful Astros swimmers to open an 83 point lead at the top.

Astros should have won the final 14*25m freestyle relay too as Colts and Talons were disqualified on the first exchange for early starts.

Unfortunately, for coach Douglas Mugerwa’s side, the opportunity to stretch the lead was lost when one of their swimmers collided with a Colt as they both zig-zagged under the not so strong lights.

Nat. Swimming League

MATCHDAY 16 POINTS
Astros    103
Talons     93
Colts     69
Overall Standings
Astros    4,271 points
Talons     4,188
Colts     4,167