How Team Uganda Performed at the Commonwealth Games
3 min readHow Team Uganda Performed at the Commonwealth Games
Tuesday – The 2022 Commonwealth Games, commonly known as Birmingham 2022 finally came to an end yesterday after a scintillating closing ceremony at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham
The Games flag was lowered and handed over Victoria, Australia which host the next edition of the CWG in 2026. The closing ceremony had kicked off with a performance from Solihull band Ocean Colour Scene. This was followed by a musical performance from the Birmingham-born band Dexys Midnight Runners.
One of the biggest bands of all time, UB40 added more to the event, while other musicians and bands from the Midlands region entertained the crowd with their performance. Uganda was among the 72 nations that participated in the Commonwealth games and Uganda’s 16th appearance at the event that bring together former colonies of the British Empire.
But how did Uganda perform at the Commonwealth Games? Finishing 16th on the medals log after winning 3 gold and 2 bronze medals isn’t bad after all.
Uganda’s medalists at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
Victor Kiplangat
Victor Kiplangat took the honours in the Commonwealth Games Men’s Marathon on the streets of Birmingham. Kiplangat finished in a time of 2:10:55 despite appearing to go the wrong way at one point.
He still won by one minute 34 seconds ahead of Alphonce Simbu of Tanzania, with Kenya’s Michael Mugo Githae completing the podium places.
Kiplangat became the first Ugandan to win marathon gold at the Commonwealth Games. He followed the legacy of compatriot Joshua Cheptegei’s double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2018 Gold Coast.
Jacob Kiplimo
Uganda’s best athlete at the Commonwealth Games, long-distance runner Jacob Kiplimo clinched the biggest title of his career after winning the men’s 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Kiplimo won the race in a season’s best time of 27:09.19 which was also a Games record.
Kiplimo finished fourth in the same race four years ago at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Six days later, Kiplimo won the 5,000m gold. In a terrific homestretch, Kiplimo out-muscled the Kenyan duo who seemed destined for 1-2 finish. The race went to the wire with Kiplimo taking on the Kenyans in a photo-finish.
The victory makes him the third Ugandan to win both the 5,000m and 10,000 finals after Moses Kipsiro and Joshua Cheptegei. Only four athletes in history have achieved this feat in a single edition of the games.
Peruth Chemutai
Peruth Chemutai won Uganda’s first bronze at the Commonwealth Games after finishing third in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase.
The Ugandan Olympic champion fell awfully in the latter stages of the race, when she failed to negotiate a hurdle. Due to her strong character, she picked herself up, through the agony, and ran on
To the amazement of the crowd, England’s Elizabeth Bird, right behind Chemutai, seized the opportunity so fast and overtook the Ugandan at the final bend and raced to second place in a time of 9:17.79. Chemutai crossed the line third in 9:23.24 to take bronze.
Kenya’s Chepkoech won the race in a time of 9:15.68, which is a new Commonwealth Games record.
Teddy Nakimuli
Nakimuli became the first Ugandan womon boxer to win a Commonwealth medal after storming the semifinals without breaking any sweat. Nakimuli’s scheduled opponent, Sara Haghighat-Joo of Sierra Leone, failed to make the weight.
She lost her semifinal bout to Northern Ireland’s Carly Mc Naul on Saturday, August 6. Nakimuli was outclassed by the Irishl in the light flyweight bout at the National Exhibition Centre arena. She lost on unanimous decision (0-5) to the Irishwoman, who was defeated by India’s Zareen Nikhat in the final gold medal bout.
Juma Miiro was the only Ugandan boxer to win a medal at the previous Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast in 2018. where he won a bronze.