Overview:
Modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running.
The Uganda Modern Pentathlon Federation (UMPF) commenced the year 2023 on a strong footing with the level 1 coaching course.
Egyptian instructor Yasser Hefny facilitated this course held at Kampala Parents’ school.
The course covered elements of preparing athletes for events, organizing trainings, organizing events, coaching techniques that will enable coaches dispatch knowledge to athletes and other basics.
Simon Peter Komakech, president of Uganda Modern Pentathlon Federation noted that this is the first ever coaches’ training being conducted in the country since the sport was introduced in 2017.
We have been looking forward to this training for a while now and we are happy that it has finally happened. I believe that the awareness and technical knowledge of the game will help us attract more people to the sport.
Simon Peter Komakech, president of Uganda Modern Pentathlon Federation
Yasser, an Egyptian pentathlete expressed delight upon sharing knowledge with the Uganda coaches and tips the sport to grow in Uganda.
“If the facilities and mentality is there, Uganda in the future will be a big power house (of Pentathlon) in Africa,” Yasser noted.
About Modern Pentathlon:
Modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing (one-touch épée), freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running.
The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the ancient Olympics.
The modern pentathlon was first held in 1912, and its rules have changed several times over the years.
The latest structure, as of the 2020 Olympics, consists of three separate events for fencing, swimming, and equestrian, which determine each athlete’s starting time in the final event.
The last event, called the laser-run, alternates four legs of laser pistol shooting followed by an 800 m run (for 3200 m in total).
The sport has been a feature of the Summer Olympic Games since 1912, despite several attempts to remove it.
A world championships for modern pentathlon has been held annually since 1949.
The governing body, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), administers the international sport in more than 90 countries.