Katemba draws first blood for Uganda

Uganda got off to a pleasant start yesterday at the ongoing Cana Zone III Championships at Kampala International School of Uganda (Kisu) – Bukoto.

Karimah Katemba was up to the pre-championship hype when she won gold in the first event of the day – the 14 and under girls’ 800m freestyle event.

Katemba started off strong but ceded ground to Tanzania’s Natalia Ladha from the 200m mark to the last 50m when the Ugandan increased her stroke rate to bag gold with a time of 10:23.40.
Ladha managed 10:25.10 and was followed by Ugandan’s Natalie Lutalo on 10.55.98.

Uganda continued to get on the podium with Akram Lubega bagging silver in the boys’ category of this age group. Freda Luzinda Nakafu bagged bronze for the girls in the 15 and over category while John Kafumbe had silver for the senior boys. 

Kafumbe led what was supposed to be the fastest heat but was pipped to gold by Tanzania’s Collins Saliboko, who swum in the slowest heat but paced the clock and pushed hard in his last 100m to clock 9:02.94. Coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi will still count on these faces for this morning’s 400m freestyle.

Balanced show
He will also be happy that Uganda’s form also showed in the sprints as Rahmah Kalungi (37.74) and Aleena Katemba (39.12) brought gold and bronze respectively from the 12 and under girls’ 50m breastsroke.

Arthur Mwase (37.94) was also good for bronze in the 12 and under boys’ age group but Ian Aziku (33.76) and Martina Antisha (37.02) made a strong case for Uganda with gold in the 13-14 years boys’ and girls’ 50m breast respectively while Tyaba Kigundu (34.48) brought bronze for the boys.

So did Swagia Mubiru (36.20) and Esther Atoo (41.01) for the 15-16 years and lowly represented 17 and over girls respectively. Nanette Nsereko (38.44) and Rashidah Najjumba (45.00) backed them up with bronze and silver respectively although the lack of numbers in the latter age group was clear as the 100m backstroke also had only Kenya’s Victoria Okumu.

Joshua Lumonya (32.82) and Shane Birungi (33.25) bagged silver and bronze in the 15-16 years boys’ age group while Adnan Kabuye (31.25) got in between the Kenyan duo of Bifwoli Tabuka (31.17) and Stephen Nyoike (31.63) to get silver in the 17 and over age group.

CANA ZONE III SWIMMING CHAMPSHIPS
TODAY’S EVENTS MORNING SESSION
200m free,  200m butterfly, 4*100m freestyle 
relay, 400m freestyle
AFTERNOON SESSION
100m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 4*50m mixed medley relay