Uganda return to Zone IV

The 2020 edition of the Cana Zone IV Championships in Botswana was the last event Ugandan swimmers attended out of the country before Covid-19 induced restrictions on travel.

A return to the southern Africa region for the April 14-17, 2022 edition in Zambia means the sport is now fully operational and has put that Covid wave behind it.

Twenty five swimmers including Kenya-based Paulsen Ssetumba - coached by Abel Ddamulira and Olivier Nalwadda - and four masters travelled to represent Uganda in Lusaka, where they were joined by South Africa-based freestyler Fadhil Saleh.

Making Uganda proud again

“The plan is to make the country proud by swimming our personal bests and grab some medals,” team captain Adnan Kabuye said in a flag off ceremony conducted by National Council of Sports (NCS) general secretary Bernard Patrick Ogwel and Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) president Donald Rukare.

Rukare, Godfrey Kizza, Peter Sebanakitta and female swimmer Patience Birungi make up the masters team.

“The team is actually great and steady. We expect very competitive races but we will bring our best,” Kabuye, who is backing himself to clock 23 seconds in the long course 50m freestyle like he did alongside Joshua Lumonya in the Cana Zone III (short course) Championships held at Kampala International School of Uganda (Kisu) last December, said.

“I am under no pressure, sport is about doing your best and I am going there with the right mindset to get close to Olympic qualification times,” Kabuye said.

His female counterpart Kirabo Namutebi also believes “the team will put up a good show as it was chosen on merit” but she and brother Tendo Mukalazi will be watched closely as they have just returned from a year-long swimming scholarship in Russia.

“I will definitely give it my all because I need to check where I am standing now and know what to work on for bigger competitions (Commonwealth Games and World Championships).”

Zone III and IV used to hold their events together until they amicably separated in 2014 but countries from either zone attend each other’s events to give their swimmers exposure.

“We are happy to be back there because swimming is growing and many of our swimmers need the exposure.

In fact we have a team with better quality and should have had a better one if Covid had not affected the last two years of preparation,” USF general secretary and team manager Max Kanyerezi, said.

Male swimmers: Adnan Kabuye 
(captain), Ampaire Namanya, 
Barak Otieno, Daniel Nuwagaba,
 Fadhil Saleh, Joshua Lumonya,
 Malcom Nahamya, Mathew Mwase, 
Nathan Nsereko, Paulsen Ssetumba,
 Pendo Kaumi, Peterson Inhensiko, 
Ryan Barungi, Tebi Nyanzi, Tendo 
Mukalazi, Trevor Kimuli

Female swimmers: Alexis Mary Akol,
 Atia Tendo, Isabella Magezi, Karimah
 Katemba, Kirabo Namutebi (captain),
 Kyhati Deshpande, Paloma Kirabo, 
Peyton Mary Suubi, Swagiah Mubiru, 
Zara Mbanga