Namutebi targeting medal ahead of Games

Born To Swim. Aga Khan’s Swagiah Mubiru is looking to make a splash at the global meet. PHOTO / ISMAIL KEZAALA

What you need to know:

  • Coach Erick Kisero says, as far as Uganda swimming ranks are concerned, “the team will miss Tara Kisawuzi, Karimah Katemba, Rahma Nakasule and Abigail Mwagale who are highly rated but are still under age for this championship.”

Olympian Kirabo Namutebi expects to launch her international medal haul at the International Schools Sports Championships that start tomorrow and climax on May 23 in Normandy, France. 

British School of Kampala (BSK) swimmer Namutebi, who has had a last 12 months to behold, headlines a team of promising female swimmers that includes Greenhill duo Esther Atto and Karla Mugisha then Aga Khan’s Swagiah Mubiru. Namutebi was on a year-long swimming scholarship in Russia from April 2021.

With it came a host of experiences that helped her compete all over Europe, debut at the Olympics and World Cup, win medals at the Africa Junior Championships and later the Cana Zone IV Championships in Zambia last month.

Coach Erick Kisero says, as far as Uganda swimming ranks are concerned, “the team will miss Tara Kisawuzi, Karimah Katemba, Rahma Nakasule and Abigail Mwagale who are highly rated but are still under age for this championship.”

He expects them to swim at the U-14 championship in Brazil later in the year.

The boys’ team includes Aga Khan duo Joshua Lumonya and Paulsen Ssetumba plus Heritage International’s John Kafumbe and Greenhill’s Ampaire Namanya but will miss butterfly specialist Steve Magera. “The entire team looks stronger than the one we had for U-15 last year in Serbia,” Kisero said. “All the boys, bar Kafumbe, went to Zambia last month and we saw that Joshua is able to split a late 24 (seconds in the 50m freestyle).  But Kafumbe also has an advantage of competing at this stage, having been to Serbia last year.

For the girls, Kirabo’s seed time of 26.26 (50m free) puts us in good position and if she replicates it, she should be able to qualify for the finals and hopefully get onto the podium. We are very excited,” he added.

Namutebi has decided to focus on the 50m free and breaststroke events for these championships.

WORLD SCHOOL GAMES (U-18)

Swim Team Girls: Kirabo Namutebi (BSK), Swagiah Mubiru (Aga Khan), Karla Mugisha, Esther Atto (Greenhill)

Boys: Joshua Lumonya, Paulsen Ssetumba (Aga Khan), John Kafumbe (Heritage International School), Ampaire Namanya (Greenhill)