Kampala races ‘a huge success’
What you need to know:
- Organisers of Sunday’s IAAF World Cross Country Championship have been praised for hosting a successful competition both in quality and attendance.
- The first ever global athletics event to be hosted in Uganda saw a huge number of fans from Kenya and Ethiopia who joined their hosts to cheer their favourite athletes at the Kololo Independence Ground where Kenya emerged as overall champions.
- Many fans were forced to leave their vehicles at hotels or other secure places and walk to the venue due to the tight security at the competition also graced by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet.
In Kampala
Organisers of Sunday’s IAAF World Cross Country Championship have been praised for hosting a successful competition both in quality and attendance.
The first ever global athletics event to be hosted in Uganda saw a huge number of fans from Kenya and Ethiopia who joined their hosts to cheer their favourite athletes at the Kololo Independence Ground where Kenya emerged as overall champions.
Many fans were forced to leave their vehicles at hotels or other secure places and walk to the venue due to the tight security at the competition also graced by Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet.
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Seb Coe had earlier paid tribute to African athletics for putting on a great show.
“This is a country, and this is a continent that takes cross country very seriously. And that’s very close to my heart,” Coe said while Charles Bakkabulindi, sports minister and chairman of the event’s Local Organising Committee, echoed those sentiments.
“I’m so excited,” he said. “It began as a dream some years back that the World Cross Country Championships would be in Africa, in Uganda. The country is excited. We are looking forward to tomorrow at Kololo.”
“Kampala is very proud to host the 42nd edition of these championships,” Andrew Kitaka, acting executive director of Kampala City Authority, added. “The 557 athletes that have come here show the true recognition of the importance of this event.”
(Additional reporting by IAAF)
