2017’s top 50 athletes unveiled

KAMPALA.

The Nation Media Group’s stables in Uganda bring together a little under thirty sports journalists. These journalists cover a multiplicity of sporting disciplines and have accrued bags of experience. Over the past two months, the journalists converged to put together a list of fifty athletes whose performances in 2017 were definitive.

How the list was put together
Each journalist was asked to craft a list of 50 Ugandan athletes they think stood head and shoulders above their peers in 2017. The list was supposed to be arranged in descending order, with No.1 being their best choice.

Ranking system explained
Common denominators were aggregated from each journalist’s list. The more common denominators translated into a higher ranking for the athlete in question. If athletes were level on points in the scoring, a five-strong team would be tasked to vote to provide a tiebreaker.

Panel
Mark Namanya (Daily Monitor Sports Editor), Robert Madoi (NTV Sports Editor), Fred Musisi Kyingi (Ennyanda Editor), Caesar Abangirah (Daily Monitor Deputy Sports Editor), Innocent Ndawula (Score Editor), Raul Kanyike (Ennyanda Deputy Editor/Daily Monitor Contributor) Andrew Mwanguhya (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Patrick Kanyomozi (KFM Sports Editor), Joel Khamadi (NTV Sport Anchor), Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo (Daily Monitor sports reporter, panelist Kfm and Ntv sport), Makhtum Muziransa (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Allan Darren Kyeyune (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Deus Bugembe (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Derrick Ntege (NTV Sport reporter), Sam Mpoza (NTV Sport reporter), Elvis Ssenono (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Abdulnasser Tajudeen (Daily Monitor Sports reporter), Aminah Babirye (Daily Monitor sports photojournalist), Eddie Chicco (Daily Monitor sports photojournalist), Ismail Kezaala (Daily Monitor sports photojournalist), Dennis Bbosa (Daily Monitor Sports reporter)

50. JUDITH NANSOBYA
Last season, UCU Lady Canons were staring down the barrel of a gun in game six of the National Basketball League ladies’ finals. Perennial rivals KCCA Leopards looked well placed to take the champagne off the ice, but Nansobya knocked down a dozen points in overtime to force a decider. UCU Lady Canons would go on to win the decider and with it a sixth title. Without breaking much of a sweat, they made it seven national titles this season. Nansobya was largely responsible for the runaway success. The Lady Canons swept the best-of-seven finals series against a KCCA Leopards side that run through the regular season. The 25 points — 15 from downtown — that Nansobya dropped in game three are widely hailed as the metaphorical stroke that broke the camel’s back. The Leopards took a 44-24 lead into the breather, but Nansobya almost singlehandedly made them lose their roar. She also helped the Lady Canons finish third at the Zone V Club Championships for good measure. (Robert Madoi & Ismail Dhakaba)

49. AVICE MEYA
Avice Meya describes 2017 as a “good year.” In August, she finished the 100m freestyle event at the 9th Universiade in Taipei in 1.08.65. That was a new national record. The Silverfin swimmer also represented Uganda at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, Azerbaijan. She also figured at the Fina World Championships in Hungary. A late developer by any measure, Meya also represented Uganda at both Cana Zone III and IV events, emerging best senior female swimmer in the former. She was also the best female swimmer in the 15 and over category at the National Swimming Championships. (Derrick Ntege & Makhtum Muziransa)

48. CHRISTAKIS FITIDIS
What would you be doing at the ripe old age of 65? Clambering into a rally cockpit? That is exactly what Fitidis continues to do. Despite not winning an outright event, Fitidis won the National Rally Championship (NRC), replicating Nasser Mutebi’s 2011 triumph in the process. The Belgian-born Rwandan who holds a Ugandan driving license had enough points after the last season event — the Oryx-Heartbeat Mosac Rally in Masaka — to hold off three-time winner Ronald Ssebuguzi and Duncan Mubiru. Fitidis collected 410 after placing on the podium in three events (Kayunga, Pearl of Africa and Hoima). He also tucked away a couple of fourth-place finishes in Mbarara and Fort Portal. The 65-year-old, navigated by Eric Nzamwita, ended up third in the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) standings after taking a sixth placement in the Zambia Rally. In doing so, he matched 1999 winner Charles Muhangi and 2013 runner-up Jas Mangat in finishing in the ARC’s top echelons. (Allan Darren Kyeyune & Ismail Dhakaba)

47. FAHAD SSEWANKAMBO
Ssewankambo is a childhood pool prodigy. He announced himself to Ugandans when he became the youngest man to win the National Pool Open. Ssewankambo was only 19 when he upset the applecart in 2014. A year before, in 2013, he had finished as second runner-up in the same event. This year, Ssewankambo powered to his second Open title after wiping the floor with Mbarara mixed farmer William Busingye in the best-of-15 final. A Cinderella run carried upstart Busingye to the grand finale, but he was no match for Ssewankambo, losing an eye-watering eight straight matches. Next year, Ssewankambo will get the chance to go level with Jonan Turigye on the all-time Open winners’ board. For now, though, he has to contend with a place on our list. (Robert Madoi & Allan Darren Kyeyune)

46. KIRABO NAMUTEBI
Fewer local swimmers, if any, have got the adrenaline build of Namutebi. Her stunning year started in Angola where she won Uganda’s only five medals at the Cana Zone IV Championships.
A fortnight later, Namutebi showed no signs of slowing down in the Kenyan capital as she managed to pick up more medals in the 50m backstroke, 200m, 100m and 50m breaststroke events. Her standout performance came at the Cana Zone III Championships in Tanzania where she won nine gold medals from 12 races to top the 12 and under girls’ category. Makhtum Muziransa