Athletes cautioned against vanishing

Ugandan athletes have been cautioned against vanishing during or after the Commonwealth Games and World Championships due to take place in Birmingham, UK and Oregon, USA respectively.

State Minister for Sports Denis Hamson Obua issued the warnings in a meeting held this morning between the Commonwealth National Organizing Committee and the athletes before the president flags off the first batch of athletes at Kololo Independence Grounds later in the day.

The President will today flag off the two teams across different disciplines including rugby, table tennis, netball, athletics, and boxing among others. The first team will go for World Championships which will kick off on July 15, 2022, in Oregon and the second team will go for the commonwealth games which will start on July 28 in Birmingham.

Obua told the athletes that the government wants the clear image of Uganda’s delegations to international competitions which was tarnished by the vanishing athletes. He adds that athletes should focus on representing the country and that any player who attempts anything to the contrary will be pursued.

During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics games, Uganda’s camp was shocked by weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko who went missing in Izumisano city where the team was camping in Japan, a few days before the grand opening of the summer games.

Julius Ssekitoleko, a 20-year-old weightlifter, joined a list of Uganda’s athletes who go out to represent the country in different international sports events but intentionally go missing before, during the course, or after the events. This came a few weeks after Uganda Rugby Sevens player James Odong disappeared from a hotel where his teammates were camped in Monaco, France.

Athletes cautioned against vanishing

Uganda Rugby sevens had gone to take part in the Olympics qualifiers. But several members of the team tested positive for COVID-19, and the team was withdrawn from the qualifying games. However, as the team was kept in isolation, Odongo sneaked out of the hotel and disappeared.

Rugby Sevens skipper Michael Wokorach who was named the overall commonwealth team captain for the mission says he will use his capacity as the captain to rally his teammates and focus on the games. He says many of the players that are going with the team are experienced and he believes they will fight for the flag.

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