The Wanda Diamond League has introduced a revamped prize money structure for the 2025 season, offering Ugandan athletes an opportunity to win substantial financial rewards.
With the new system, winners in most Diamond disciplines can earn up to $10,000 (approximately UGX 37.2 million) at series meetings and up to $30,000 (UGX 111.6 million) at the prestigious Final.
For the newly introduced Diamond+ Disciplines, the stakes are even higher, with individual athletes eligible for up to $20,000 (UGX 74.4 million) at series meetings and a remarkable $50,000 (UGX 186 million) at the Final.
The changes are designed to ensure broader financial inclusion for athletes, with competitors finishing between ninth and 12th now receiving fixed prize money in both track and field events.
Additionally, prize money for lower-finishing athletes has been increased across all disciplines, doubling in some cases.
The 2025 season marks a historic moment for the Diamond League, with $9.24 million (UGX 34.4 billion) allocated for prize money, the largest in the series’ history.
Including promotional fees and athlete services, the total financial commitment exceeds $18 million (UGX 66.9 billion).
Ugandan athletes have a rich history of success in the Wanda Diamond League, making these financial rewards even more significant.
Joshua Cheptegei became the first Ugandan to win a Diamond Trophy in 2019 when he dominated the 5000 meters.
Ronald Musagala has also left a lasting impression, winning the 1500 meters at Diamond League events, with a personal best of 3:30.58 achieved in Monaco in 2019.
Jacob Kiplimo added to Uganda’s legacy with a victory in the 3000 meters at the Rome Golden Gala in 2020, recording a stunning time of 7:26.64.
The introduction of gender-equal prize money ensures that both male and female athletes will have equal opportunities to secure life-changing rewards.
The 2025 Wanda Diamond League season is scheduled to commence on April 26, 2025, in Xiamen, China.
This marks the beginning of a series that will traverse four continents and 13 countries, culminating in the final event in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 27-28, 2025.
The season features 15 meetings, including stops in Shanghai/Suzhou, Doha, Rabat, Rome, Oslo, Stockholm, Paris, Eugene, Monaco, London, Silesia, Lausanne, and Brussels, before concluding in Zurich.
