The world is in a rare health crisis because of the coronavirus pandemic. A number of global sporting events have been called off in recent weeks and months for fear of the spread of the disease.
Ugandan runners who had hoped of early preparations for the Tokyo Olympic Games now have to sit out after the cancellation of the World Indoor Championships and the World Half-Marathon Championships this month.
Middle-distance runners Halimah Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo had prepared to head to Nanjing, China for the World Indoors but are now grounded to training at Namboole Stadium.
Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) had prepared to send athletes to the World Half-Marathon Championships earlier set for next weekend in Gdynia, Poland including Joshua Cheptegei.
With the 10000m event off the Diamond League calendar, this is the event where Cheptegei, Uganda’s biggest Olympic medal prospect, had hoped to mark off his endurance program.
“It (coronavirus) is disturbing us a lot,” Cheptegei’s manager Jurrie van der Velden remarked. Similarly, all road races particularly marathons in major cities around the world have been called off.
Ugandans Geoffrey Kusuro and Robert Chemonges missed out on the Barcelona Marathon in Spain last weekend, which has since been postponed to October.
UAF had planned to send athletes to the Africa Cross-country Championships in Lome, Togo but the event was too, called off. Also, the initial events on the 2020 Diamond League calendar have been postponed.
“Due to the growing number of countries affected by the COVID-19 virus, the first three meetings of the 2020 Wanda Diamond League season, scheduled for April 17 in Qatar, May 9 and May 16, 2020 in China, cannot be held as planned,” read part of the organisers’ statement.
“This decision was made in close consultation with organising committees, local authorities and sports governing bodies.”
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This writer is a global broadcaster and as well 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