Athletics is one of the sports that has painted Uganda with gold both domestically and internationally. It is difficult to believe that a little, strategic, beautiful country proudly known as the Pearl of Africa continues to shine brighter than other nations throughout the world when it comes to sports, particularly athletics.
The outstanding performance of Ugandan athletes at the international level has alerted world sports experts to the driving cause behind the outstanding performance of Ugandan athletes who have emptied the international gold basket. This article delves into the secrets of Ugandan athletes’ outstanding success.
The Teryet high-altitude stadium in Kapchorwa, certified as an official Olympics, World Championships, and world record qualification venue by World Athletics, is pivotal in nurturing athletes into world record breakers.
Teryet national training sports facility has given runners enough training space to perfect their talents. In fact, runners have managed to further their training without coming to Mandela Stadium in Namboole or abroad to hit accepted qualification marks for international events.
According to Victor Kiplangat, the reigning Common Wealth Marathon Gold medalist, the facility has unified athletes not only in the region but also from different parts of Uganda, adding that they are now a family with almost the same intentions of promoting Uganda to the outside world through sports.
Alfred Tunde, the District sports officer in Kapchorwa, revealed that apart from Athletics, the 75-hectare stadium hosts other games such as football, basketball, and volleyball, among others, and it also has hostels to help accommodate athletes.
The construction of Teryet was imprinted in 2010, when President Yoweri Museveni asked for the construction of a modern, state-of-the-art training facility for athletes across the country in recognition of the spectacular and vicious performances by Ugandan athletes internationally.
It also followed Moses Kipsiro’s pleas to the President to install the facility after winning gold medals in the 5000m and 10000m, respectively, at the Commonwealth Games in the 2010 edition.
In 2012 and 2013, long-distance running icon Stephen Kiprotich won both the Olympic and Commonwealth championships, correspondingly, to further compel the President to have the facility put up urgently in order to nurture generational athletes.