National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Ambrose Tashobya and 2019 World 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi have challenged Uganda’s young athletes to dream bigger, embrace hard work and remain committed to their sporting and academic journeys following visits to Team Uganda at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
Tashobya met the Ugandan contingent at the Games Village in Diamniadio on Wednesday evening, where he encouraged the athletes to look beyond medals and measure their progress through personal improvement, commitment and the effort they put into their performances.
The team, led by captains Joseph Sebatindira and Zara Marie Mbanga, was received alongside Chef de Mission Lydia Gloria Dhamuzungu, team administrators Elijah Njawuzi and James Kasumba, and safeguarding officer Patricia Ayebare.
With several Ugandan athletes having completed their competitions in table tennis, swimming, rugby sevens, rowing and badminton, Tashobya’s message offered encouragement as they reflected on their experiences at the global youth competition.
“If you know in that race you gave it your best, that is all that we needed from you,” Tashobya told the athletes.
He cautioned against allowing medal counts to become the only measure of success, pointing out that with hundreds of competitors fighting for just three medals in each event, the majority would naturally leave without a podium finish.
“If success is only measured by the medals that you win, it means over probably 95 per cent of the athletes will not have been successful,” he noted.
Instead, the NCS chairman urged the young Olympians to use the competition as a learning experience, document their performances and make it their ambition to surpass those marks in future competitions.
Having earned places on Uganda’s relatively small qualification quota, he reminded them that they were already among the country’s finest young sporting talents.
“The person in the mirror is always the one standing between you and the best version of yourself,” he said, challenging them to take responsibility for their growth.
Tashobya also used the interaction to highlight the government’s responsibility in supporting athletes and developing sports infrastructure.
“We are not doing you a favour. It’s our job,” he emphasised.
He acknowledged the significant investments being made in sports facilities, including the new stadiums in Hoima and at Akii-Bua, as well as running tracks and indoor sports facilities at universities such as Makerere, Gulu and Lira.
He, however, admitted that Uganda’s continued lack of a standard 50-metre swimming pool remained a major challenge for the country’s swimming development.
The government, he added, is also pursuing the establishment of regional sports academies, with Hoima expected to host the first.
Badminton coach William Kabindi, who was part of the interaction, called for more deliberate support towards federations and coaches to ensure athletes receive adequate preparation long before major competitions.
“Compared to other countries, we have the shortest time of preparation,” Kabindi observed, stressing the need to develop athletes consistently so they are ready whenever international opportunities arise.
Tashobya agreed, insisting that success at major competitions is built through years of preparation rather than last-minute training camps.
“The work that gives you a medal here, you do it three years before that, not weeks or two to three months to the event. It’s repetition, repetition, repetition over time,” he said.
He further encouraged the athletes to take their education seriously, advocating for a balance between sports and academics.
“I’m a big believer in what we call a student-athlete, not an athlete student,” he said, adding that every athlete had the potential to pursue and attain a university degree.
Nakaayi: You are the next champions
Meanwhile, Uganda’s celebrated middle-distance runner Halimah Nakaayi also spent time with the young Olympians on Tuesday, bringing a message of inspiration drawn from her own remarkable journey in international sport.
The 2019 World 800m champion visited the Games Village after watching Ugandan rower Marcel Otim compete at Saly Beach West.
Nakaayi, alongside fellow Olympian Jamilah Lunkuse, is serving as one of the International Olympic Committee’s 31 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) at the Games.
Drawing from her experience at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, Nakaayi shared how the opportunity to compete at youth level became the beginning of a journey that has seen her represent Uganda at multiple senior Olympic Games and five World Athletics Championships.
She has since competed at the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, won the 2019 World Athletics Championships 800m title, collected several African Championship medals and secured international professional opportunities, including a contract with Nike.
Beyond her achievements on the track, Nakaayi also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Information Technology, an accomplishment she used to demonstrate that sporting ambition and academic excellence can go hand in hand.
“I’m here to encourage you, the youth, to balance both sports and academics. It’s very possible,” she told the athletes.
She urged them to believe in their abilities, remain disciplined and approach their sporting careers with professionalism.
“You have all the ingredients it takes to become champions. You are the next champions,” she said.
Nakaayi also encouraged the athletes to speak up whenever they encounter challenges, emphasising the importance of trust, confidence and having people they can turn to for support.
She reminded them that success is not achieved overnight but is the product of resilience, consistency and persistence through difficult moments.
Her message also touched on clean sport, with the Olympian briefly introducing the importance of staying clean and competing fairly.
For Team Uganda, the visits from Tashobya and Nakaayi offered more than words of encouragement. They provided the young athletes with an opportunity to learn from sports leaders and accomplished Olympians while gaining perspective on what lies beyond their first major international competition.