- USPA Sports Personalities of March and April
- March 2018: Peninah Nakabo (Young Chess player)
- April 2018: Joshua Cheptegei (2018 Double Common Wealth gold medalist)
Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) has on Monday, 14th May 2018 unanimously voted long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei as the best sports personality for the month of April.
This happened during the sports journalists’ monthly convention held at Magnolia Hall, Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, as chaired by the sports journalist’s body president, Sabiti Muwanga.
Cheptegei was unrivaled as the journalists voted him in unison for the historic feat achieved at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The rest of the medalists for Uganda at the Commonwealth games were commended for the job well done.
Having earlier won the 5000M race, Chepetegei completed a double when he crashed the games record to claim the 10000m Gold in 27:19.62. He bettered Wilberforce Talel’s record set in Manchester in 2002 by 27.77 seconds.
Cheptegei became the third man in history to win the 5,000m and 10,000m double at the Commonwealth Games.
The last person to achieve that feat was fellow countryman Moses Kipsiro at the Delhi Games in 2010.
Meanwhile, female chess player Peninah Nakabo edged Pirates Rugby Club to the March gong.
At the same assembly, USPA officially renewed their sponsorship pact with beer company, Nile Breweries Limited under the flagship brand, Nile Special.
Under the new arrangement, the time lag for the new partnership is two years, an extension of the one year time period from the previous sponsorship for Shs 360M.
Nile Special brand manager Francis Nyende witnessed the signing of the binding agreement on behalf of the beer company and Uganda Sports Press Association was heavily represented by the president Sabiti Muwanga, the Vice President Ritah Aliguma, General secretary Patrick Kanyomozi and the treasurer Mubarak Kasule.
A large fraction of the money will be diverted towards holding USPA monthly meetings, 2018 road safety campaign and the annual sportsmen gala.
In particular, Shs 180M will be shared per year. Shs. 115M is ear marked for the USPA annual gala and the remainder for the monthly meetings as well as the quarterly galas.
It was also confirmed that Nile Special will partner with USPA in the upcoming annual road safety campaign that will take place in September 2018.
The winners from January to April will be rewarded at a function during a date to be confirmed.