Swimming Nationals: Aziku, Ba, Usadadiya pick of Day One
Early momentum. Heer Usadadiya swims in the 800m free at the Nationals on Wednesday. PHOTO/MAKHTUM MUZIRANSA
What you need to know:
The 50m breaststroke had some of the most anticipated races of the day and they served sauce.
Despite a delayed start to the 10th edition of the Uganda Aquatics Swimming Championships at Kampala Parents School on Wednesday, the five day event quickly picked the long-anticipated momentum.
The 50m breaststroke had some of the most anticipated races of the day and they served sauce.
It climaxed with the entire arena on its feet to watch Dolphins' Ian Aziku take on Aqua Akii's Tendo Mukalazi in the 17 and over age group. Aziku had recently gone under 30 seconds while Mukalazi had set a Ugandan national record 28.77 seconds at the Hungarian Nationals in November 2023.
Both boys were largely disciplined throughout but Aziku (29.66) edged Mukalazi by just 30 microseconds. Such was the focus on the two that it was easy to forget the Silverfin trio of Larry Graig Feni (30.52), Trevor Kimuli (30.62), and Namanya Ampaire (30.99) - who was in the penultimate heat - plus Torpedoes Kyle Kimuli (30.80) were all under 31 seconds.
Mukalazi's sister Kirabo Namutebi enjoyed a comfortable 33.56 to top the 17 and over girls ahead of Gators' Swagiah Mubiru and Sailfish’s Charlotte Sanford.
In the 10 and under age group, just a touch separated Sailfish's Denorah Natabi (40.27) and Ozpreys' Gianna Opolot (40.36) for gold. Vision for Africa's Blessing Namugga (43.32) settled for bronze.
For the junior boys, Silverfin’s Raan Batuk was miles ahead of the competition winning with in 39.06 seconds.
In the 11-12 age group, Otters' Nisha Pearl Najjuma comfortably won the girls' 50m breast in 37.62 seconds while 11 year old Kristian Bwisho edged the boys in 36.07 - marginally ahead of Silverfin teammates Elisha Kato (36.68) and Samuel Kakuru (37.29).
In the 13-14, Zara Mbanga, 13, kept a routine 36.29 win over Jaguar teammate Peyton Suubi 36.93 in the girls' category while Torpedoes' Jonathan Kaweesa (33.02) edged Gators' Abdul Hakim Seck (33.95) in the much anticipated boys' face off.
The cutthroat competition continued to the 15-16 age group where Inell Raya Ba's water splashing celebration told how much it meant for her (35.80), not only to cut about three seconds, but also to beat Tara Kisawuzi (35.83).
Similarly, the disappointment told in Daniel Rukundo's reaction after he (31.47) marginally finished behind Gators teammate Peterson Inhensiko (31.07). Their teammates Joel Nyaika (31.67) and Ethani Ssengooba (32.91) ensured all top four positions in the 15-16 boys' group go to Gators.
800m free
But before all that drama, the 800m freestyle was the first event of the morning with an impressive 31 female and 40 male swimmers.
It offered little or no surprises but the delayed start, as the event awaited Police clearance, perhaps took a bit of steam out of the swimmers as there was no national record.
Suubi, 14, led the girls with a time of 9:57.27 with her splits for every 50m ranging from between 30 to 38 seconds.
She was followed by Mbanga (10.20.96) and Dolphins' Mackayla Ssali, 13, who clocked 10.36.05 from the penultimate heat to impressively make the podium.
Heer Usadadiya, 16, ceded the first 100m in the boys' race to his Aqua Akii teammate Carlton Musenze.
But Usadadiya recovered in time to top the race at 9:00.02. It was not the national record performance that he has made us accustomed to over the past one year but it is still one of the top five times done in the domestic arena and it was over 30 seconds more than the 9:32.44 that Silverfin Academy's Isaiah Kuc, 15, managed to finish second.
Gators Max Kenyi got to the podium from the fifth heat of seven with a 9.45.73 - about five microseconds ahead of his teammate Jordan Chrighton (9:50.05) who was in the penultimate heat. Musenze finished 5th with a time of 9:50.51.
100m back
Meanwhile, in the third and final event of the day, nine year old Adams Aya continued to show she will be a force to reckon with an impressive 1:23.80 to win the 10 and under girls' race.
Jaguar's Ashley Kimuli topped the junoor boys with a time of 1:24.98.
In the 11-12 age group, Najjuma doubled her day's gold swimming in 1:15.55 as did Bwisho (1:15.16), who just about out touched Torpedoes' Elijah Ayesiga 1:15.18 in the boys' group.
In the 13-14 girls, Mbanga also doubled her gold with a 1:10.97 while Seck clocked 1:04.51 to edge Kaweesa (1:09.06) in the battle for gold.
In the 15-16 girls, Kisawuzi was denied another gold, this time by Rahmah Nakasule (1:11.09) while for the boys, Heer Usadadiya was almost unmatched at 1:02.47 as he finished ahead of Inhensiko (1:03.61).
Avice Meya made a return to the domestic arena after six years, this time representing Sailfish and not former club Silverfin Academy, to top the 17 and over girls in 1:11.30. But Tendo Kaumi clocked a personal best 57.54 to beat the 17 and over boys with Joshua Kaganda (1:01.94) and Mathew Mwase (1:02.86) in second and third position respectively.
