Rower Noble to open Uganda’s Olympic route


Rower Kathleen Noble will collect several slices of history when she represents Uganda at the Tokyo Olympics which begin on Friday.
 
The Utah-based athlete arrived in Japan on Sunday and was the first Ugandan competitor to enter the Olympic Village, in the company of her coach Ahsan Iqbal.
 
She will become the first Ugandan to compete in a rowing event when she lines up her boat and oars for the single sculls Heats at the Sea Forest Waterway on Friday.
 
And by doing so, Noble will become the country’s first athlete in action at these quadrennial Games.
 
The former swimmer will be followed by Musa Shadiri who enters the ring at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan for the men’s welterweight opening round of 32 on July 24.
 
Shadiri’s colleague Catherine Nanziri will become the nation’s first female boxer in Olympic history when she wears her gloves for the flyweight last 32 duels on July 25.
 
The following day will also see middleweight David Ssemujju carry on Uganda’s quest for a first Olympic boxing medal since John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi won welterweight silver at the Moscow 1980 Games.
 
Atuhaire Ambala enters the pool for the men’s 100m freestyle Heats at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 27 and he will be joined by 16-year-old Kirabo Namutebi for the 50m freestyle Heats on July 30.
 
On that day, nine runners will line up at the National Stadium when athletics competitions get underway.
 
Of these, Albert Chemutai will open the quest on track in the 3000m steeplechase Heats and the trio of Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo and Stephen Kissa will close with the 10000m final.
 
Cheptegei is the favourite to add to his world title over the 25-lap having scooped the Commonwealth double in 2018, the world cross-country title in 2019 and a 10000m silver at the 2017 London World Championships.
 
World half-marathon champion Kiplimo is also a challenger from a 20-odd man field set to compete.
 
In between, world champion Halimah Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo will do the women’s 800m Heats while the trio of Esther Chebet, Prisca Chemweno and Sarah Chelangat will compete over the 5000m Heats.
 
Uganda’s last participants will be the marathon trio of Filex Chemonges, Fred Musobo and Stephen Kiprotich who will run the 42km race in Sapporo on August 8.
 

TEAM UGANDA SCHEDULE


JULY 23
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Heats (Kathleen Noble)
JULY 24
Boxing: Men’s welterweight last 32 (Shadiri Bwogi)
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Repechage (TBC)
JULY 25
Boxing: Women’s flyweight last 32 (Catherine Nanziri)
JULY 26
Boxing: Men’s middleweight last 32 (David Ssemujju)
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Quarterfinals (TBC)
JULY 27
Boxing: Men’s welterweight last 16 (TBC)
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Semi-finals (TBC)
Swimming: Men’s 100m freestyle Heats (Atuhaire Ambala)
JULY 28
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Semi-finals (TBC)
Swimming: Men’s 100m freestyle semis (TBC)
JULY 29
Boxing: Women’s flyweight last 16 (TBC) & Men’s middleweight last 16 (TBC)
Rowing: Women’s Single Scull Final (TBC)
Swimming: Men’s 100m freestyle final (TBC)
JULY 30
Athletics: Men’s steeplechase Heats (Albert Chemutai), Women’s 800m Heats (Halimah Nakaayi & Winnie Nanyondo), Women’s 5000m Heats (Esther Chebet, Prisca Chemweno & Sarah Chelangat), Men’s 10000m final (Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo & Stephen Kissa)
Boxing: Men’s welterweight quarterfinals (TBC)
Swimming: Women’s 50m freestyle Heats (Kirabo Namutebi)
JULY 31
Athletics: Women’s 800m semis (TBC)
Swimming: Women’s 50m freestyle semis (TBC)
AUGUST 1
Athletics: Women’s 3000m steeplechase Heats (Peruth Chemutai)
Boxing: Women’s flyweight quarters (TBC), Men’s middleweight quarters (TBC), Men’s welterweight semis (TBC)
Swimming: Women’s 50m freestyle final (TBC)
AUGUST 2
Athletics: Women’s 1500m Heats (Winnie Nanyondo), Men’s 3000m steeplechase final (TBC), Women’s 5000m final (TBC)
AUGUST 3
Athletics: Men’s 1500m Heats (Ronald Musagala), Women’s 400m Heats (Shida Leni), Men’s 5000m Heats (Cheptegei, Kiplimo & Oscar Chelimo), Women’s 800m final (TBC)
Boxing: Men’s welterweight final (TBC)
AUGUST 4
Athletics: Women’s 1500m semis (TBC), Women’s 400m semis (TBC), Women’s 3000m steeplechase final (TBC)
Boxing: Women’s flyweight semis (TBC)
AUGUST 5
Athletics: Men’s 1500m semis (TBC)
Boxing: Men’s middleweight semis (TBC)
AUGUST 6
Athletics: Men’s 5000m final (TBC), Women’s 400m final (TBC), Women’s 1500m final (TBC)
AUGUST 7
Athletics: Women’s marathon final (Immaculate Chemutai & Juliet Chekwel), Women;s 10000m final (Mercyline Chelangat), Men’s 1500m final (TBC)
Boxing: Women’s flyweight final (TBC), Men’s middleweight final (TBC)
AUGUST 8
Athletics: Men’s marathon final (Stephen Kiprotich, Fred Musobo, Filex Chemonges)
 

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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well, a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and sports presenter with Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune

 

Published: 07/20/2021