Nakaayi exudes class for African 800m silver

About a fortnight ago, Halimah Nakaayi endured a bad day in the office. She crossed the finish line last after the women’s 800m final inside the Glasgow Arena in Scotland.

Her pursuit of a second career medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships had gone by pretty fast. Nakaayi had posted a time of two minutes and 5.53 seconds in sixth place, her slowest time of the indoor season this year.

Ironic! During the Budapest World Athletics Championships in Hungary last August, Nakaayi still had come eighth in the 800m final after a season that had so much promise.

Her big slice of bad luck first manifested during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games when she turned in eighth place again in the two-lap final and a fortnight before, she had stopped in the semifinal Heats during the Oregon Worlds in the USA.

But, Nakaayi never gives up. On Tuesday night, she rekindled her confidence when she medalled by taking second place in the women’s 800m final during the African Games at the University of Ghana Legon Stadium in Accra.

“I am very happy,” Nakaayi said in the early hours of yesterday, having posted a time of one minute and 58.59 seconds. Perhaps, it is more of a relief than delight for the 29-year-old.

“Of course, I am hard working then persistence and consistency,” she said, in a brief chat. Nakaayi’s medal was Uganda’s first for athletics in Ghana.

But, she also entered another league. She became the first Ugandan athlete to win a medal at back-to-back editions of the African Games since Moses Kipsiro won 5000m gold at the Algiers 2007 and Maputo 2011 editions in Algeria and Mozambique respectively.

Nakaayi powered to 800m bronze during the Rabat 2019 Games in Morocco and a few months later, she toppled the field to the 800m title during the Doha Worlds in Qatar.

In history, just a handful have won medals in athletics at back-to-back editions at these Games. Justin Arop won javelin gold at the Nairobi 1987 and Algiers 1978 editions in Kenya and Algeria in turn.

John Akii-Bua took 400m hurdles gold and silver at the Lagos 1973 in Nigeria and Algiers 1978 editions. Akii-Bua and Silver Ayoo won 4x400m relay bronze and silver medals at the Lagos and Algiers respectively.

Still in Algiers and Lagos, Constance Rwabiryagye won javelin throw bronze and gold respectively. Uganda also won the women’s 4X400m gold and bronze in Lagos and Algiers but those teams are not fully detailed. Hence in all, no woman has done it in an individual event except Nakaayi.

And she has a chance to etch her name further in history when she goes, together with Knight Aciru, in for the 1500m Heats tonight. That similar event for the men has Nakaayi’s training partners Abu Mayanja and Ronald Musagala too in the fray on Thursday.

The quartet of Pius Adome, Benson Okot, Emmanuel Aboda and Allan Ngobi was disqualified in lane 6 of the men’s 4x100m relay Heat 3 on grounds of improper conduct on Tuesday.

The latter trio has a chance to redeem themselves in the men’s 200m Heats today. Jacent Nyamahunge will start the day for Uganda in the women’s 200m Heats.

AFRICAN GAMES - ATHLETICS

DAY TWO RESULTS - TEAM UGANDA

WOMEN’S 400M SEMI FINAL HEAT 2

1 Esther Elo (NGR)                            51.74

2 Sita Sibiri (BKF)                              52.13

4 Leni Shida (UGA)                           53.23  

MEN’S 400M SEMI FINAL HEAT 3

1 Muzala Samukonga (ZAM)             45.51

2 Nonyelu Dubem (NGR)                  45.89

3 Ernest Kumevu (BOT)                     45.89

4 Haron Adoli (UGA)                                    45.95

WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP FINAL

1 Ruth Usoro (NGR)                          13.80m

2 Winny Bii (KEN)                             13.64m

3 Saly Sarr (SEN)                               13.60m

9 Winnifred Atimango (UGA)           12.44m

WOMEN’S 800M FINAL

1 Tsige Gemiecu (ETH)          1:57.73

2 Halima Nakaayi (UGA)       1:58.59

3 Vivian Chebet (KEN)          2:00.27

6 Susan Aneno (UGA)           2:04.79

MEN’S 800M SEMIFINAL HEAT 2

1 Tom Dradriga (UGA)          1:48.89

2 Alex Amankwah (GHA)     1:48.93

MEN’S 4X100M RELAY HEAT 3

1 Nigeria                                 38.70

2 Zambia                                 39.56

3 Kenya                                   39.93

6 Uganda                                DQ

2023 AFRICAN GAMES - ATHLETICS

UGANDANS IN ACTION - THURSDAY 

12.25pm: Jacent Nyamahunge (Women’s 200m Round 1 Heats)

1pm: Benson Okot, Emmanuel Aboda, Allan Ngobi (Men’s 200m Round 1 Heats)

7.45pm: Women’s 200m Semi Final Heats

8.10pm: Men’s 200m Semi Final Heats

8.40pm: Halimah Nakaayi, Knight Aciru (Women’s 1500m Heats)

9pm: Ronald Musagala, Abu Mayanja (Men’s 1500m Heats)

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