The 17th edition of the IAAF World Championships commences on Friday, September 27 in Doha, Qatar at the multi-purpose Khalifa International Stadium.
The ten-day championship comes at the close of the 2019 calendar after all the 16 Diamond League events climaxed, and have been regarded by many, as build-ups to the event, a timely occurrence for the first time in the history of the Diamond League.
Uganda will be represented by a strong contingent of 22 athletes who were officially flagged off by the National Council of Sports (NCS) on Tuesday, September 24 in Lugogo, Kampala.
Uganda heads to the biennial event with a heightened ambition of bringing more medals home than was achieved at the last championships in 2017 in London.
Uganda won one medal through long-distance runner Joshua Cheptegei who was beaten for pace by Mo Farah to finish second in the 5000M final.
Joshua Cheptegei will lead Team Uganda at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.
Cheptegei comes to the championships after setting a personal best in the 5000m race during the Diamond League final in Zurich, Switzerland last month in August 2019, and with that victory, became the first Ugandan to ever win a Diamond League trophy.
Cheptegei, however, will be setting his targets on conquering the 10,000m event at the World Championships in Doha.
Olympic gold medalist Stephen Kiprotich returns to action for his third World Athletics Championships marathon and will be looking to replicate his debut appearance with another gold like he achieved in 2013 in Moscow, Russia.
The Ugandan ladies will also look to fly Uganda’s flag high at the World Championships through rising sensational sprinter Shida Leni who broke the national 400m and 200m records at the National Championships held at Mandela National Stadium, and Peruth Chemutai who ran her season-best in the 3000m steeplechase at the Diamond League in Shanghai, China.
Middle distance runners Halima Nakaayi and Winnie Nanyondo bolster Uganda’s chances with a good run of form from the All Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco where Nakaayi earned bronze in the 800m with a time of 2:03.55 while Nanyondo set a new national record and personal best in the 1500m at the Diamond League in Shanghai, China clocking 4:01.39.
Doha will host 3500 athletes from 205 countries all over the world in the highly anticipated event that is taking place in the Middle East for the first time ever.
Team Uganda
Men (According to Discipline)
- 1500m: Ronald MUSAGALA
- 5000m: Oscar CHELIMO, Stephen KISSA
- 10,000m: Joshua CHEPTEGEI, Jacob KIPLIMO, Abdallah Kibet MANDE
- Marathon: Stephen KIPROTICH, Fred MUSOBO, Solomon MUTAI
- 3000m Steeplechase: Albert CHEMUTAI, Benjamin KIPLAGAT, Boniface Abel SIKOWO
Women (According to Discipline)
- 400m: Leni SHIDA
- 800m: Halimah NAKAAYI, Winnie NANYONDO
- 1500m: Esther CHEBET, Winnie NANYONDO
- 5000m: Sarah CHELANGAT
- 10,000m: Rachael Zena CHEBET, Juliet CHEKWEL, Stella CHESANG
- Marathon: Linet Toroitich CHEBET
- 3000m Steeplechase: Peruth CHEMUTAI