UGANDA: ATHLETICS: Ugandan athletes hoping to take part in next month's London Olympic games, have suffered a setback as they struggle to find adequate grounds to record qualifying times

Record ID: 331066

  • Title: UGANDA: ATHLETICS: Ugandan athletes hoping to take part in next month's London Olympic games, have suffered a setback as they struggle to find adequate grounds to record qualifying times
  • Date: 28th June 2012
  • Summary: KAMPALA, UGANDA, (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ATHLETES DURING WARM UP SESSION VARIOUS OF ATHLETES RACING (SOUNDBITE) (English) KIWA FAUSTINE, UGANDA ATHLETICS FEDERATION TECHNICAL ADVISOR SAYING: "They can't qualify, the sprinters because we could not use here the electronic timer and the medium and long distance runners can not qualify because the surface is very bad and you can't make good times on this sort of surface." SPRINTERS IN RELAY RACE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENYA LAZAROUS, UGANDAN ATHLETE, SAYING: "You know national stadium is so fast and it is a ground which you can put your maximum ability or energy on the ground to make a good time but here on grass you keep on reserving, psychologically you know the ground is not safe, it can cause injuries."
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Uganda
  • Country: Uganda
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAD212315F2YH3LQ9UR2ZGSIIS9
  • Story Text: These Ugandan athletes are warming up for trials at the country's Makerere University grounds in the capital Kampala, in order to qualify for the upcoming London Olympics.
    Although they have been training hard for the games they were disappointed that they could not use the national stadium to record their qualifying times, because it had been booked for a religious convention.
    Uganda's Athletics Federation (UAF) says the athletes were not able to access the Nambaoole stadium which has facilities like tartan tracks and precision timing equipment.
    At the end of the trials, officials said the runners were not able to record precise times because of the uneven grounds and lack of proper equipment.
    "They can't qualify, the sprinters because we could not use here the electronic timer and the medium and long distance runners can not qualify because the surface is very bad and you can't make good times on this sort of surface," said Uganda's Athletics Federation Technical Advisor, Kiwa Faustine.
    Officials have raised concerns about management of the country's largest stadium, which has become a popular venue for festivals and concerts; events blamed for leaving the track in poor shape and interference with the athletics calendar.
    Some sprinters complained that they had put in long hours and were looking forward to representing their country in the July Olympics but their sport was not being taken seriously because they should have been given first priority to use the stadium.
    "You know national stadium is so fast and it is a ground which you can put your maximum ability or energy on the ground to make a good time but here on grass you keep on reserving, psychologically you know the ground is not safe, it can cause injuries," said sprinter, Enya Lazarous.
    Organisers of the religious crusade distanced themselves from the mix-up saying they were not informed of any events taking place at the venue while UAF insists that they had booked the facility early enough.
    The stadium management has offered the country's athletics federation five air tickets as compensation for runners to have a chance to qualify in Benin this week, at the African Athletics Championships, but most athletes will have to wait another four years for the next Olympic games.
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