The First Lady of Uganda, also the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni is optimistic that Uganda will perform much better in upcoming sporting events on the continental and global scenes.
Mrs. Museveni made the remarks during official welcoming ceremony for the Common Wealth Team from the 2018 games in Australia.
Flanked by the State ministers of Sports Charles Bakabulindi and the minister for Higher Education,
This is only the beginning of very many wins. I believe that by His help, Uganda will shine even brighter in sports and the world will acknowledge it. Keep it up!
Continued Government Support:
The team to Australia was boosted with a financial package of Shs 3Billion from the Government. The first lady asserts that this money will continue to be channeled to sports support.
The government is committed to and will keep supporting our athletes.
Majority of the team players and officials returned on Thursday afternoon before they were driven in an open bus vehicle to Imperial Royal Hotel for an official welcome dinner attended by the State Minister of Sports, Hon. Charles Bakabulindi.
The medalists were given special vehicles with open roofs as they waved to hundreds of fans paraded along the Entebbe- Kampala road up to the hotel where they reached a few minutes to 7 pm.
During the team return home, there was a section of people left disgruntled particularly the parents, family members and friends of athletes as well as some journalists who were at first denied access to the athletes.
In particular, Stephenson Kwalya Munerya, father to Common wealth double gold winner Joshua Cheptegei cried foul after he was initially blocked from entering the lake side airport facility.
Missing players:
Five of the athletes who traveled with the team did not remain and are feared to have disappeared in thin air.
These are Halima Namboozo (Table Tennis), Irene Kasuubo (Weightlifting), Kalidi Batuusa (Weightlifting), Reagan Ssimbwa (Boxing) and Bashir Nasir (Boxing).
National Council of Sports officials Zubair Ggaliwango, Bosco Onyik, Andrew Sorowen, Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner Jane Francis Kuka, Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Andrew Sorowen are some of the high profile personalities who welcomed the team at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday.
Uganda finished 15th on the medals table standing, having won six medals in total at the games.
Of the six medals, three are gold, a silver and two bronze – one better than at the last Games in Glasgow.
Cheptegai won two gold medals in the 5000M and 1000M races to lead the cast of winners.
There was another gold for team Uganda in the 10,000M women race for Stellah Chesang, the same event that Mercyline Chelangat finished third to take bronze.
Fly weight boxer (49 Kgs) Juma Miiro settled for a bronze medal after he lost his semifinal fight India Amit Panghal at the Oxenford Studios.
Solomon Munyo Mutai won silver in the Marathon, in two hours, 19 minutes and 2 seconds.
This was a far much improved performance for Mutai who finished 4th at the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 2018 Marathon was won by Australia’s Michael Shelly, retaining his title in 2:16:46.
The team will be hosted at Entebbe State House on Sunday, 22nd April 2018 by the head of state, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.