Cheptegei leads trio for top USPA accolade

The year 2020 has greatly erased the normal way of life because of the coronavirus pandemic.

After some resilience, the annual Nile Special-Uganda Sports Press Association (Uspa) Awards Gala will be held at the Victoria Ballroom of Serena Hotel today, more than 11 months since the 2019 calendar flipped.

To stage the show where the trio of Emmanuel Okwi, Halimah Nakaayi and Joshua Cheptegei vie for the 2019 Sports Personality of the Year gong, sponsors Nile Special and Uspa executive have had to fit into a ‘new normal’. 

Low-key affair

The Gala normally happens after 6pm with more than 500 guests but due to the 9pm curfew, Uspa’s 50th anniversary celebrations will be a low-key affair.  

Under the prevailing Covid-19 restrictions and safe operating procedures, there will be 150 guests led by French Ambassador to Uganda H.E Jules-Armand Aniambossou with the event emceed by Mark Ssali starting as early as 2pm.

Entertainment on card

And before Afrigo Band takes over the entertainment for black-tie and face mask coded show at dusk, one of either global icon Cheptegei, stellar Nakaayi or Uganda Cranes’ forward Okwi will be crowned by Aniambossou. 

Middle-distance runner Nakaayi will be attending her first Uspa Gala thanks to two medals scooped last year.

First, Nakaayi powered to an 800m bronze at the African Games on August 27 in Morocco. Then, she became the first Ugandan world champion after producing a stellar finish in the last 75m to win the two-lap race at the Doha World Championships on September 30 in Qatar.

“It was a great year,” Nakaayi told this paper yesterday. “Being hardworking and winning that gold medal was my greatest achievement. I expect to be awarded,” she added.

Her counterpart Cheptegei has been tipped to retain the crown he took a year ago after upping the ante last year.

The long-distance runner had a flawless year where he exorcised 2017 Kololo demons to win the World Cross-country Championship title in Aarhus, Denmark on March 30 and then switched to track to win the 5000m Diamond League trophy in Zurich, Switzerland on August 29.

Cheptegei then had his tactics right against stubborn Ethiopians to garner the 10000m world title at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha on October 6 before sealing the year with the 10km world record in Valencia, Spain on December 1.

“An amazing year,” Cheptegei described 2019 in a recent chat, “If you purpose yourself and believe in yourself, you will reap what you have put it in.”

Asked about his sweetest achievement? “It’s kind of difficult to ascertain to which is more important. I got involved in a serious car accident four days before Christmas. My lower back and neck were really messed up. I won (in Aarhus) with ease but preparation was not easy.”

Striker Okwi cannot be overlooked either. He lit up the stage with two goals as the Cranes made the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt.

After Afcon, Okwi won hearts over Egyptian club Al Ittihad Alexandria Club, leaving Simba SC where he won the Tanzanian Premier League title after contributing 18 goals and eight assists.

There are also awards on cards for team of the year, best organized event, best run federation and the fans’ choice award.

ing it was not going to happen,” said Cheptegei.

“98 per cent of the people were saying: ‘He is not close to the WR. He is 20 seconds away from the WR, how is he going to do it?’ So that was really special.”

Middle-distance runner Nakaayi will be attending her first Uspa Gala thanks to two medals scooped last year.

First, Nakaayi powered to an 800m bronze at the African Games on August 27 in Morocco. Then, she became the first Ugandan world champion after producing a stellar finish in the last 75m to win the two-lap race at the Doha World Championships on September 30 in Qatar.

Winning the gold medal 

“It was a great year,” Nakaayi told this paper yesterday. “Being hardworking and winning that gold medal was my greatest achievement. I expect to be awarded,” she added.  Her counterpart Cheptegei has been tipped to retain the crown he took a year ago after upping the ante last year.

The long-distance runner had a flawless year where he exorcised 2017 Kololo demons to win the World Cross-country Championship title in Aarhus, Denmark on March 30 and then switched to track to win the 5000m Diamond League trophy in Zurich, Switzerland on August 29.

Cheptegei then had his tactics right against stubborn Ethiopians to garner the 10000m world title at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha on October 6 before sealing the year with the 10km world record in Valencia, Spain on December 1.

“An amazing year,” Cheptegei described 2019 in a recent chat, “If you purpose yourself and believe in yourself, you will reap what you have put it in.”

Sweetest achievement 

Asked about his sweetest achievement? “It’s kind of difficult to ascertain to which is more important. I got involved in a serious car accident four days before Christmas. My lower back and neck were really messed up. I won (in Aarhus) with ease but preparation was not easy.”

 Striker Okwi cannot be overlooked either. He lit up the stage with two goals as the Cranes made the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt. After Afcon, Okwi won hearts over Egyptian club Al Ittihad Alexandria Club, leaving Simba SC where he won the Tanzanian Premier League title after contributing 18 goals and eight assists.

There are also awards on cards for team of the year, best organized event, best run federation and the fans’ choice award.