A team of 13 athletes are set to travel to Douala, Cameroon for the 23rd edition of the African Senior Championships. The team includes six men and seven women, all of whom have undergone extensive training in various locations, including Nairobi, Kenya.
The athletes will be accompanied by their coaches, Senior Noah Muzira from Busoga, and Sarah Nambawa, affectionately nicknamed “Cash” after winning two gold medals during her athletic career—one in 2010 in Nairobi and another in Beijing, China, in 2012.
Among the athletes is Shida Leni, who began her career in primary school and has trained extensively in Nairobi and Europe. Speaking at the flag-off, she expressed confidence ahead of the Championships, saying her goal is to qualify for the Olympics in Paris, scheduled from July to August 2024.
“I’m happy that finally, I am going for the African Senior Championships because that is what I have been preparing for,” she said.
“I expect to qualify for the Olympics, and this tournament is the last determinant, with the deadline for Olympic qualifiers being June 30, 2024,” she added.
The President of the Uganda Athletics Federation, Dominic Otucet said that the country was shifting focus to continental competitions having previously put more emphasis on the world stage. He added that the expectation is to secure more places at the Olympics.
“Our major expectation is to fight for medals, and another is to build up for Olympic qualifiers. Shida has only one opportunity to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.
