Swimmers break off in high gear

In top gear. Wamala flies to the wall in the 25m race. PHOTO | ISMAIL KEZAALA

Elijah Wamala is one of Altona’s most improved and promising swimmers.

The swimmer, who has been in the sport for just two years, adds his abilities to a thin roster of boys - that includes Chriton Kato, Caspian Guma, Adriel Lumu, Ethan Kunuhira and Francis Kisawuzi - that the Altona could count on in future competitions.

His progress can be attributed to dedicated work during the first months when the sport emerged from lockdown.

Now he is helping his team Colts battle with a significantly stronger Talons’ side in the second edition of the Altona-BSK (British School of Kampala) League.

Last Friday, in the 25m butterfly leg, Wamala led his teammates into cutting their personal bests as he slashed almost a second off 18.3 to clock 17.4sec.

The strangely quiet atmosphere at the pool, brought about one having to move back to the parking after their race and the absence of spectators as some of the procedures to curb the spread of Covid-19, did not deter the swimmers.

“The competition is interesting because first of all, we are friends but just in different teams.So we are pushing and learning from each other,” Wamala said.

The improvement in performance can only be matched by his teammates Terrie Akampa, who slashed her time from 18.2 to 17.1, and Yeta Magoola, who moved from 19.3 to draw level with Talons’ Sonia Mwere at 18.0sec.

Akampa was joined by her siblings Caspian Guma (19.1 to 18.5) and Tanja Atukunda (18.7 to 18.6) as Colts led those who will later in the season cash-in on achieving personal bests in the league.

Team captain Tara Kisawuzi also recorded a new league record as she moved from 15.2 to 14.9, finishing ahead of Talons’ Abigail Mwagale, who did 16.0sec.

The day climaxed with those that posted the best five times facing off in last four ‘man-standing’ races.

Wamala missed joining the ‘Best of 5’ by a microsecond but will have no qualms as his captain Tara saw off Mwagale in the final elimination race (50m fly) moments after the duo had eliminated Shafia Ntabazi, Chriton Kato and Paula Nabukeera in the conditioning races.

Colts, despite the new PBs, managed 153 points – 31 behind Talons – as the league was indefinitely suspended following the presidential directive to lockdown sports for 42 days.

When the league resumes, however, Colts will be beefed up with newly drafted siblings Divine and Ethan Kalungi while Talons will have Anitah Mwase.