They won medals, set records and lifted Uganda’s flag high

Eridadi Mukwanga
The Kilembe Sports Club product inked his name in Olympics history when he won silver in the bantamweight category following his loss to Valerian Sokolov from the Soviet Union at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Together with Leo Rwabwogo, they were the first Ugandans to win Olympic medals – in any sport. Mukwanga was later to live a disgusted and frustrated life due to lack of support and recognition from his home government. A local newspaper once referred to his later years as: “The 1968 Mexico Olympics silver medallist (who) couldn’t afford a meal at the time of his death in 1998 aged 55. His burial was just like that of any village pauper.”

John Akii-Bua
Born on December 3, 1949, the late Akii-Bua remains arguably Uganda’s biggest Olympic story, well, perhaps until a one Stephen Kiprotich sprung up at the London Olympics this year, yo could argue. Akii-Bua beat global champion, Britain’s David Hemery, at the 1972 Munich Olympics, winning the 400m hurdles in a new world record of 47.82s. In 1976, Akii-Bua failed to defend his gold at the Olympics because of an African boycott of the games thanks to Apartheid in South Africa. He died on June 20, 1997.

Philip Omondi
Blessed with an implausible dribbling ability and intelligence, the late Omondi remains arguably the best footballing talent Uganda has ever seen. The KCC forward led Uganda to the 1978 Nations Cup final in Accra, Ghana, losing 2-0 to the hosts with Omondi, then 21, top-scoring with four goals. Omondi, who featured at the Nations Cup three times (‘74 ‘76 and ‘78), won a Cecafa Cup with Cranes, two league titles and two Kakungulu (now Uganda Cup) with KCC. He briefly played professional football at UAE’s Sharijah FC in 1979 before quitting four years later. He also had coaching stints at the defunct Bank of Uganda FC in the 80s and KCC in ’92 and ’96. He passed on, April 21, 1999.

Sadi Onito
Together with Juma Jaffar, Onito set alight Ugandan golf with many memorable encounters in the 60s, but Onito coming top in most of these. Onito won 12 Uganda Open. Jaffar, however, had his time in the 1990s as Onito aged. Onito passed on in 2004 after succumbing to cancer.

Dorcus Inzikuru
Inzikuru,30, introduced herself to the world when she won the inaugural World title in women’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2005 World Championships, in Helsinki, Finland. Then, Uganda had taken 33 years without an athletics world title. She participated at the London 2012 Olympics but could only finish way beyond the medal bracket.

John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi
Born March 4, 1960, Mugabi is a former boxer and world light middleweight king. He was part of the early 1980s’ junior middleweight and middleweight division scene that read Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Wilfred Benítez, Davey Moore, and Roberto Durán. Aliased “The Beast” for his fierce approach, Mugabi won silver at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow (welterweight). He was also a silver medallist at the 1976 Junior World Championships.and the WBC light middleweight champion in 1989. Mugabi now resides in Australia where he is a boxing trainer.

Majid Musisi
Born on September 17, 1967, Musisi remains arguably Uganda’s best out-and-out striker. He boasted of pace, a special eye for goal and a wowing dribbling ability. He helped his SC Villa side to six league titles, three Uganda Cups and one Cecafa club title. But the highlight of his career at Villa was in the early 1990s where he led the Jogoos to the 1991 Caf Champions League final. Musisi’s displays on the continent saw him transfer to French club Stade Rennes in July 1992, making him the first Ugandan footballer to play in one of Europe’s top leagues.
He stayed at Rennes until 1995 when he transferred to Turkish side Bursaspor for $1.15m. With the Uganda Cranes, he won the 1989 and 1990 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cups and was twice Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup top-scorer in 1987 and 1989. During his time at Bursaspor, Musisi scored 38 goals in 71 appearances. He died on December 13, 2005.

Cornelius Bbosa Edwards
The former WBC super featherweight champion, commonly known to boxing fans as Boza, is now based in the USA. Boza won the WBC super featherweight title in 1981 when he defeated Mexican Rafael Limon in 15 rounds. Born in 1956 in the shanty Kisenyi suburb, 56-year-old Boza now works with world number one pro fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. as matchmaker for the American superstar’s Mayweather Promotions.

David Otti
Otti was born in 1940 in Gulu. As a player, he won with Coffee FC the 1970 league and 1971 Uganda Cup. The midfielder was also part of the Ugandan team at the 1968 Africa Cup of Nations held in Ethiopia. Otti replaced German Burkhard Pape as Cranes coach in 1973 and he guided the team to Cecafa victory just months later. In between, Otti threw in the towel but came back to help Uganda qualify for the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, albeit, stepping down after the event. The veteran coach guided Simba FC to the 1978 league title and Kenya’s Gor Mahia to the 1981 Cecafa Club Championship among other club successes. In 1983, he was appointed General Secretary of National Council of Sports. At the time of his death on March 3, 2011, Otti was Express’ technical director.

Maj. Gen. Francis Nyangweso
A boxer, soldier, and politician, Nyangweso was a jack of all trades. Born on September 29, 1939 in Busia, Nyangweso was a close ally of former President Idi Amin. He was the chairman of the National Council of Sports (NCS), Chief of Staff in the Ugandan army, and Defence Minister, and Minister of Culture and Community Development in Amin’s government.
Nyangweso won gold in boxing in the Israel Hapeal Games in 1962 plus bronze at the Commonwealth Games at Perth, Australia, the same year. His longest service as an administrator saw him stay at the helm of Uganda Olympic Committee for 32 years. He passed on in February 2011, a death triggered by kidney failure and diabetes.

Ayub Kalule
Kalule was not only the first man from the entire Commonwealth to win gold at the maiden World Amateur Boxing Championships in 1974 but also the first African to achieve the feat. Prominent among his victories included defeats of Alipata Korovou for the Commonwealth middleweight title, a 10-round decision over former US gold medallist Sugar Ray and a win over Japanese Masashi Kudo for the WBA Junior middleweight Championship title. Kalule’s career ended on February 5, 1986 when he lost the European Middleweight title to Herol Graham.

Kassim Ouma
The 34-year-old joined the elite list of Ugandan boxers when he beat American Verno Phillips to take IBF Light Middleweight title in 2004. That was the beginning of a journey that has seen him record 27 wins of the 32 professional fights to date, 16 of which KOs. The former child soldier has, however, seen his flamboyant and hyper life outside the ring slowly eat into his game.

James Odwori
Winner of a gold medal in light flyweight at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Odwori is regarded as one of the most gifted boxers to grace the Ugandan scene. Birthed on October 23 1951, Odwori is said to have been born in Kenya where later as a retired boxer he became Kenya Prisons’ boxing team coach and later a Kenya national boxing team tactician.

Stephen Kiprotich
Until the final day of the 2012 London Olympics, Team Uganda looked a spent, dejected force. But then little known Kiprotich had a world shocker in his magic box, surprisingly beating two Kenyans Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich to win Uganda’s only second Olympic gold medal in 2:08:01 seconds at the London Olympics.

Grace Sseruwagi
Sseruwagi is regarded as one of Uganda’s best ever, if not the best, boxing coach. Celebrated boxers like Kalule and Odwori are some of his products. He is a former boxer who represented Uganda 88 times and fought in 51 national championships, winning 127 bouts by knockouts, seven on points, and losing five. In his 14-year boxing career, he reached the quarterfinals at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Jimmy Kirunda
Kirunda played a crucial role as KCC got promoted to the topflight division in 1974 and national team engagements saw him win seven Cecafa titles in 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976 & 1977 (1969 as Gosage Cup and 1970 as Challenge Cup). Because of his playing style, he was likened to German football great Franz Beckenbauer. No wonder he scored 32 goals as a defender in the league in 1978, a record that stood for 21 years, only to be broken by SC Villa’s Andrew ‘Fimbo’ Mukasa in 1999.

Jackson Asiku
The 34-year-old Asiku became only the fifth Ugandan to win a world title when he clinched the IBO Featherweight crown in 2009. Based in Australia, Asiku also won bronze at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and at the All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa, the following year.

Davis Kamoga
Forty-four years old today, Kamoga won bronze in the men’s 400m at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He added to his personal feat in 1997 when he won the first ever medal – silver – for Uganda at the World Championships in Athens.

Margaret Bisereko
A veteran teacher, athlete and coach passed on in January this year aged 57 but her legacy of an all-rounder sportswoman will live on forever. Sports took 17 years of her life, six of which she was a national handball team captain and nine the volleyball national team skipper.
She was also volleyball and netball coach and national coaches’ instructor plus netball umpire. In a career spanning four generations, Bisereko featured in the All Africa Games where she participated in long and high jump as well as the 100m hurdles and 200m. Another strong woman that deserves a mention in netball is former national star Ida Nnalongo (RIP).

Grace Birungi
She specialised in the 800m and partly in 400m. Birungi won silver in 400m at the 1996 African Championships in Yaoundé and a bronze medal in 800m at the 1999 All-Africa Games in Johannesburg.

Judith Ayaa
She established herself as the the country’s renowned pioneering female sprinter, if her records on the international scene in the 1970s are anything to go by. She is reported to have died in 2002 amidst poverty after eking a living as a stone crusher. By 1969, Ayaa was ranked amongst the top 400m runners in the world. At the 1972 Olympic Games, Ayaa established the 400m national record, which would stand for many years.

Ruth Kyalisima
She was a silver medallist at the 1982 Brisbane Games.

Justin Juuko and Godfrey Nyakana
Juuko and Nyakana won gold at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games, with Juuko succeeding in the light flyweight and Nyakana in flyweight. Other notable Commonwealth gold medal winners in boxing include George Oywello, Mohamed Muruli, Mohamed Muruli and Benson Masanda

Moses Kipsiro
Moses Ndiema Kipsiro, 26, is a double gold winner in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. He did participate at this year’s Olympics in London but fell short in both the two aforementioned races. Kipsiro also bronze at the 2007 World Championships and several other medals in the 5000m at the African Championships and the All-Africa Games.

Polly Ouma
Ouma is considered one of the best strikers ever to grace the Ugandan and African scene. A one-man club, the Simba striker had a knack for scoring vital goals for club and country. He became army side, Simba, skipper upon the club’s formation in 1966. He went on to lead Simba to the final of 1972 Africa Club Championship and to the 1971 and 1978 league titles. On the national team, he was captain from 1973 to 1974. Ouma, who formed a deadly partnership with Omondi, featured at the 1968, 1976 and 1978 Africa Cup of Nations.

He also scored the crucial goal that qualified Uganda to the 1974 Afcon. Ouma briefly retired from the Cranes in 1974 but soon returned in 1975 due to public demand. He won six regional titles with the Cranes. He also repeated the feats as a coach, leading Uganda to regional titles in 1989, 1990 and 1992.

Stanley ‘Tank’ Mubiru
The towering Mubiru is one of the greatest wingers Uganda has ever seen. His physique and power earned him the nickname “Tank”. The former Express striker’s best performances in a Cranes shirt came at the 1974 Nations Cup where he scored the Cranes’ only goal in the 2-1 defeat to the hosts in the opening game. He also grabbed a brace in the next game, a two-all draw against Ivory Coast. Mubiru also featured at the 1976 Nations Cup but unfortunately suffered an injury that saw him miss the entire season, including the 1978 Afcon in Ghana. He died on in January 1989.

Joseph Masajjage
Masajjage is rated as arguably the country’s greatest goalkeeper. He was voted Uganda Footballer of the Year for three consecutive years (1966-1968). It is also said he turned down an offer to turn professional for English side West Bromwich Albion, the English FA Cup holders at the time, who had admired his acrobatic saves when they toured East Africa in 1968. His first major tournament was the 1968 Africa Cup of Nations held in Ethiopia where he featured all the three Cranes matches.

Boniface Toroitich Kiprop
Kiprop introduced himself to the scene at the 2001 African Junior Championships in Mauritius where he won gold and silver in 5,000m and 10,000m respectively before winning the same races two years later at the championships in Cameroon. Kiprop also won bronze in 10,000m at the 2003 Afro-Asian Games. Now in his late 20s, Kiprop is a businessman.

Alice Kego
In golf, Kego was to ladies what Onito was to men. She is Uganda’s most successful female golfer with 12 Uganda Open titles. She has been involved in golf since the 70s.

Ibrahim Sekagya
The Red Bull Salzburg defender and former Cranes captain is held as a model footballer of his generation. Sekagya is ranked up there alongside Paul Hasule (RIP), although - like Hasule - his biggest disappointment remains not ever qualifying for Africa Cup of Nations. The ex-State House, KCC, Argentina’s Athletico de Rafaela, Ferro Carrill Oeste and Arsenal De Sarandi defender early this year won the Austrian Bundesliga title (his third since moving there in 2007) and a cup with his club. In his early 30s, Sekagya retired from international football in February after Uganda failed to qualify for the 2012 Nations Cup.

Charles Yokwe
Yokwe’s star was rising at the time of his death but he had stood out as a true legend of this country as a golf and tennis player, representing Uganda in both disciplines. He was the son of Onito.

Jackson Mayanja
The former KCC forward had the ability to create and score goals, and would on his day beat any defence. He also played for Egyptian side El- Masry and Tunisia’s Esperance Mayanja, now 42, won two league titles (1991 & 1997) and two Uganda Cup titles (1987 & 1990) with KCC.
He also clinched three Cecafa Cup titles with Uganda Cranes (1990, 1992 & 1996). He was Uganda’s top-scorer in the 1994 Nations Cup qualifiers with six goals, although, the strikes not enough to qualify the Cranes. He is currently the Cranes assistant coach.

Peter Okee (RIP)
Okee will remain in the folklore of Uganda’s greats. The coach led Uganda Cranes to the 1978 Nations Cup final. An all-rounder manager and coach, Bidandi Ssali, plus administrator Era Mugisa, the Fufa president at the time Cranes reached the final in Ghana, are the persons that would render any football tale inconsequential if not mentioned.

Denis Obua
Born on June 13, 1947, Obua boasted a deadly left foot and was a dribbling master. He won six Cecafa titles (1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976 and 1977) with the Cranes and featured in three Nations Cup tournaments in 1968, 1974 and 1976. His legacy, however, was not without some misdemeanors – drinking sprees and camp escapes never a surprise. Obua was also Fufa president and Cecafa boss. He died in May 2010.

Paul Hasule
Born in 1959, Hasule is SC Villa’s most successful captain He won it all locally, amassing an unprecedented 15 major titles during his 11 years at Villa and collecting six honours as a coach. As a player, the defender won eight league titles with SC Villa (1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 & 1992) and four Uganda Cups (1983, 1986, 1988 and 1989). He also led the Jogoos to the 1987 Cecafa Club Championship and captained Uganda to two Cecafa Senior Championship titles (1989 & 1990). He was Cranes skipper for four years (1988-1992) and Villa captain for eight years (1985-1993). As a coach, he won four league titles with Villa (1998, 1999, 2000 & 2001) and two Kakungulu Cups (1998 & 2000). Hasule died on April 24, 2004.

Paul Ssali
The 58-year-old is regarded one of Uganda’s best goalkeepers of all time. The former Simba and KCC player was popularly known as ‘Commando’ for his acrobatic saves. It is said he never lost a penalty shoot-out for the Cranes. He was in goal when Uganda made a dream run to the 1978 Nations Cup final before losing to 2-0 to hosts Ghana.

Charles Muhangi
Muhangi won the National Rally Championship in 1998 beating top guns of the day including Emma Katto and Chipper Adams. But in 1999 that he etched his name in motor rally history, winning the Africa Rally Championship.

John Oduke
Oduke’s talent and perseverance was, by our standards, somewhat rewarded when he soared to a career-high position of 881 on the standings on June 12, 1989, then at 31.
The mainstay of Uganda’s Davis Cup team from 1997-1999, Oduke won 13 singles and eight doubles matches he played. The current generation’s youngster Duncan Mugabe also merits a mention; especially that he hit a career high ranking of 659 on November 11, 2009.

Arthur Blick Jnr
Born May 4, 1976, Blick Jnr todate won nine national titles, a record he shares with no one. Motocross wouldn’t be motocross without mention of Blick Jnr’s dad, Arthur Blick Snr and his uncle Paddy, who won everything in front of them in East Africa in the 70s.
Among others include late Dick Kawesa well known on the race track as Dick Kawesa King of Speed, Wycliffe Bukenya and Maggie Kigozi Blick – the only lady rider in East Africa in the 70s.

Sam Walusimbi
He is the greatest cricketer Uganda has ever produced. A talented all-rounder during his peak, Walusimbi, together with John Nagenda, played for an East African select side at the 1975 World Cup. In 1993, then aged 45, Walusimbi inspired his revered Wanderers Cricket Club to league glory.

Sam Collins Ssali
He was a four-time national rally champion, having clinched titles from 1989 to 1992 driving a Nissan PA10.

Leo Rwabwogo
He remains the only Ugandan sportsperson to ever win two Olympic medals - bronze at the 1968 Mexico Games and silver four years later in Munich. In winning bronze at the Mexico games, Rwabwogo – born in Kabarole District in 1949 - had become the first Ugandan to make it to the Olympic medal podium. He also won silver at the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Rwabwogo died a poor man when he collapsed and passed on, January 14, 2009, while tending to his upcountry garden in Kabarole.

Robert Seguya
The former Namilyango College student won the Elgon Cup in 2006, was African Champion in 2002 and 2007, league king with Heathens in 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and the Uganda Cup winner in 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001. Soggy, as he is affectionately called by his fans, also played for Uganda in the 7s at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and 2010 and in the IRB Sevens circuit in 2001, 200 and 2004.

Allan Musoke
The former King’s college, Budo student, Sokee, as his fervently called by his fans, also ranks up there among Uganda’s rugby legends. Thirty-three-years old in 2012, Musoke helped Uganda to the African championship titles in 2002 and 2007. In his 43 caps, he has scored 33 tries including five against lowly Botswana back in 2002. Such performances got him selected to the Africa Leopards, a team of the best rugby players in Africa outside of South Africa, thrice (2004, 2006 and 2009). Sokee went on to win six league titles and four Uganda Cups with utl Kobs, and was named Most Valuable Player in 2006 and best rugby player thrice by sports scribes. He captained Uganda at 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Edwin Ekiring
The 28-year-old was the reigning African badminton champion by press time. He became the first Ugandan badminton player to represent at the Olympics when he featured at the Beijing Games in 2008 after getting into the men’s singles by International Badminton Federation. Ekiring also represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, albeit without winning any medals.

Charlie Lubega
He won the national rally championship four times in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004, one of the only two drivers who have ever achieved that feat. He won the Uganda Sports Press Association sports personality of the year in 2001. He quit the sport in the early 2000s due to health reasons.

Tom Kawere
In powering to silver in the light-heavy weight at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Kawere became the first East African ever to win a medal at the competitions. The Old Boy of Namilyango College is one of the founders of the defunct Uganda Amateur Boxing Association in 1951. Kawere was also an internationally qualified boxing judge.