As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games continue in Japan, we take a closer look at athletics maestro Joshua Cheptegei’s profile, a Ugandan long distance runner.

Name: Joshua Cheptegei

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Kapchorwa

Birth Country: Uganda

Place of residence : Kapchorwa

Residence Country: Uganda

Background: Cheptegei was born in Kapsewui, Kapchorwa District, Uganda. His first love was football. He tried out the long jump and triple jump too in primary school but switched to running when he discovered his talent in distance running. Cheptegei studied languages and literature in Kampala for two years before getting employed by the Uganda Police. He is coached by Dutch tactician Addy Ruiter.

Highlights: Cheptegei currently holds both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m world records he set in 2020. In 2017, he became the silver medalist in the 10,000 metres event at the World Championship in London. In 2018, he set a world record for the 15 km road race and became the cross country world champion in 2019. In 2020, at a road race in Monaco, he set a new world road 5 km record of 12:51, breaking through the event’s 13-minute barrier, taking 9 seconds from the previous best time of 13:00, set by Kenya’s Sammy Kipketer in 2000. In August 2020, at the Monaco Diamond League meet, he set a new 5000 metres world record of 12:35.36, breaking Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old world record of 12:37.35 set in Hengelo. On 7 October 2020, in Valencia, he set a world record time of 26:11.00 in the 10000 meters, which again improved on Kenenisa Bekele’s 15-year-old record by more than 6 seconds.

Tokyo Olympics Participation;

Men’s 10,000m Final

Date and Time: Fri 30 July (2:30pm EAT)

Venue: Olympic Stadium

Men’s 5000m Round 1 – Heat 1-2

Date and Time: Tue 3 Aug. (2:00pm -2:20pm EAT)

Venue: Olympic Stadium

Men’s 5000m Final

Date and Time: Fri 6 Aug. (3:00pm EAT)

Venue: Olympic Stadium

Catherine Nanziri is set to become Uganda’s first female boxer competing at the Olympics when she takes on Japan’s Tsukimi Namiki on Sunday.

The duo will be seeking a spot in the Women’s Flyweight (48-51kg) Round of 16. Tsukimi is a soldier by profession and holds a home advantage, a reason it has been dubbed as a “tricky” by bookmakers.

Nanziri who will hail from the blue corner – has experience from the African continent and remains confident of her preparation for the fight, coupled with learned lessons about her opponent. 

“I have already studied my opponent and I am not scared at all, although she is at her home town, I am ready to outcompete her like I did to a senegalese Timera Khadija at the Africa olympic qualifier games in Dakar,” Nanziri said.

“I am so delighted to be the first member of the bombers team to enter the ring, I have prepared very well and God willing I hope to raise Uganda’s flag high.”

Nanziri has three recognised fights, which came at the Africa Championship in Dakar where she won once and lost twice.

Tsumiki who has won 12 of her 15 amateur fights, was named the 2018 and 2019 Female Boxer of the Year by the Japan Amateur Boxing Federation. Victory for Nanziri will set up a bout against Brazil’s Sousa Graziele. 

When to watch Nanziri compete at the Tokyo Olympics;

Women’s Flyweight (48-51kg) Round of 32

Date and Time: Sun 25 July (11:15 am EAT)

Venue: Ryōgoku Kokugikan

Ugandan rower Kathleen Noble has qualified for the women’s single sculls Final E after making second place in the semi final E/F on Sunday.

The 26-year-old posted 8:31:67 a difference of about 7 seconds from winner Qatar’s Abujbara Tala. This was Kathleen’s third outing, a faster one as compared to 8:36:01 in  the repechage.

Kathleen’s competition for the final includes Nigerian Toko Esther, Moroccan Fraincart Sarah, Nicaraguan Gonzalez Jarquin Evidelia, Singapore’s Poh Joan and Tala.

Victory for Noble in Final E would mean an extraordinary milestone for the debutant at the games despite being out of the medal bracket. 

When to watch Noble compete again; 

Women’s Single Sculls Final E

Date and Time: Thursday July 29 (2:15am EAT)

Venue: Sea Forest Waterway

Ugandan rower Kathleen Grace Noble feels the strong winds were a major hinderance as she turned out to represent the country in the women’s single sculls repechage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. 

Kathleen had set her sights on the quarterfinals but finished third to make semifinals E/F in in 8:36:01 behind winner Cuban Venega Cancio and  second-placed Chinese Hung Wing Yan Winne.

Speaking to media after her race, the 26-year-old who is unfortunately out of medal contention said the winds affected her performance, a reason it was a slow outing as compared to day one when she posted 8:21.85. 

“The waves were not bad today the wind was stronger and came in an unfavorable direction. When the wind is blowing sideways or pushing you from behind it slows you down. On the reverse if it is blowing in the same direction that you are rowing it will speed you up,” she said. 

When to watch Noble compete again; 

Women’s Single Sculls Semifinal E/F 1-2

Date and Time: Sun July 25 (3:20am – 3:30am EAT)
Venue: Sea Forest Waterway

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games continue in Japan, we take a closer look at Stephen Kissa’s profile, a Ugandan long distance runner.

Name: Stephen Kissa

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Kampala

Birth Country: Uganda

Background: Kissa was raised the eldest of five siblings in the small village of Sosho, just 5km from Kapchorwa. He started his athletics journey at high school, inspired to run by former World and Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich and double Commonwealth gold medallist Moses Kipsiro. From high school he joined the police club. In 2013 he placed a solid fifth in the steeplechase at the Ugandan Championships. Later joining the prisons club and offered a job as a prison guard proved a turning point in his career.

Highlights: Kissa finished 52nd at the 2017 World Cross Country Championships before featuring at the 2017 World Championships 5000 metres without reaching the final. The next year he finished 8th in the 5000 metres at the 2018 African Championships.  His personal best time is 13:10.93 minutes, that he achieved in July 2018 at Athletissima in Lausanne. He has 7:54.32 minutes in the 3000 metres, achieved in July 2018 in Rabat. He won his last race of 2018 at the 15 kilometres roadrace Montferland Run in the Netherlands. Kissa has also made half marathon his niche, making two podium finishes in 2019. The last time he ran the 10,000m was at the 2020 NN Valencia World Record Day, Estadio de Atletismo del Turia where he finished 4th in 27:34:48.

2020 Tokyo Olympics Participation;

Men’s 10,000m Final

Date and Time: Fri 30 July (2:30pm EAT)

Venues: Olympic Stadium

• Naohisa Takato has won Japan’s first gold medal at its home Olympics in the men’s 60kg judo final
• India’s boxing campaign began on a poor note, as Vikas Krishan lost to Japan’s Sewonrets Quincy 
• U.S. first lady Jill Biden cheered the US Swimming team as they started off in hunt for Gold at the games
• Joshua Cheptegei 10,000m Kenya nemesis Geoffrey Kamworor is out of the Tokyo Olympics due to an ankle injury

Naohisa Takato has won Japan’s first gold medal at its home Olympics, beating Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei in the men’s 60-kilogram judo final. Kosovo’s Distria Krasniqi beat Japan’s Funa Tonaki in the women’s 48-kilogram final less than an hour before Takato made sure his team wouldn’t have a double heartbreak on the opening day of competition in its beloved homegrown martial art. Takato won his final three bouts in sudden-death golden score, but took the final a bit anticlimactically after Yang committed too many fouls. The charismatic Takato’s success — and Tonaki’s heartbreaking, last-minute defeat — could provide a much-needed jolt of excitement for a nation still feeling profoundly ambivalent about these Olympics and discouraged by the scandals and coronavirus setbacks surrounding them. [AP]

India’s boxing campaign began on a poor note, as Vikas Krishan lost to Japan’s Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa in his Men’s Welter (69kg) Round of 32 clash, on Day 2 of the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. Earlier in the day, weightlifter Mirabai Chanu gave India its first medal at Tokyo 2020 as she won the silver medal in the women’s 49kg category as China’s Zhihu Hou took gold. China’s Zhihu lifted 94kg to create an Olympic record while a new Olympic record was registered by Mirabai Chanu with a successful lift of 115kg in clean and jerk. Indian shooters, however, disappointed as Saurabh Chaudhary finished seventh in men’s 10m Air Pistol final. Elavenil Valarivan finished at 16th while Apurvi Chandela finished 36th and therefore failed to qualify in the 10m air rifle women’s qualification round. [NDTV Sports]

Members of the U.S. swimming team cheered and chanted from the stands for U.S. first lady Jill Biden, who sat across the pool and waved as swimming kicked off. Without fans in the 15,000-seat Tokyo Aquatics Centre on Saturday, masked teams had ample room to spread out in socially distanced seats above the deck. The U.S. contingent waved tiny American flags and pounded red-white-and-blue Thunderstix, while the Germans spread their large-sized flag over two rows of seats. Waiting for the session to begin, the Americans chanted “Dr. Biden, Dr. Biden” and clapped. [AP]

Jacob Kipling and Joshua Cheptegei’s 10,000m rival Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor will not race at the Tokyo Olympics after he was ruled out with an injury.  Kamworor is said to have aggravated the ankle injury from a road accident he suffered last year. Team Kenya’s technical team is expected to decide on whom to fill the gap left by Kamworor. The 10000m final is in six days – Friday, July 30 – on the first day of the athletics programme. [Daily Nation]

Ugandan rower Kathleen Noble made third place in heat of the women’s single sculls to qualify for the semifinals E/F on Saturday. 

Noble had set her sights on qualifying for the quarterfinals but missed by about 12 seconds in 8:36:01 behind winner Cuban Venega Cancio and  second-placed Chinese Hung Wing Yan Winne.

Speaking to media after her race, the 26-year-old remains optimistic despite recording a slower time than 8:21.85 from her debut yesterday.

“I recorded a slower timing but every race comes with their own demands and expectations. I am happy to continue exploiting the opportunity and I look forward the E/F semi-finals tomorrow.”

Kathleen is unfortunately out of medal contention and will compete further in the semifinals E/F. If she makes a position between 1-3, she shall have qualified for final E. 

When to watch Noble compete again; 

Women’s Single Sculls Semifinal E/F 1-2

Date and Time: Sun July 25 (3:20am – 3:30am EAT)
Venue: Sea Forest Waterway

Ugandan rower Kathleen Noble Grace feels happy about her debut at the Olympics after finishing 5th in heat 2 of the women’s single sculls on Friday. 

The 26-year-old was separated by 26 seconds from winner and 2-time world champion Sanita Puspure of Ireland at Sea Forest Waterway. 

Speaking after the experience, Kathleen revealed how grateful she was for a better start than usual in the very fast race.

“Out of the blocks usually I am shaking and today I wasn’t. So I am very grateful today I felt the way I did. With the results, I was happy with how my race went,” she told media after her race.

“There is [sic] a lot of fast people in my heat and I wasn’t expecting to be one of the fastest people in the heats, so I was happy with coming 5th out of 6th. Tomorrow is a big race, trying to get into the quarter final so we’ll see how that goes.”

When to watch Noble compete again; 

Date and Time: Sat July 24 (2:30am – 2:50am EAT)
Venue: Sea Forest Waterway
Women’s Single Sculls Repechage 1-3

Ugandan boxer Shadiri Bwogi and swimmer Kirabo Namutebi hoisted the country’s flag high as they made part of the entourage that marched at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony. 

The games had already began two days with softball ahead of the event that was characterized by cascading fireworks and colorful choreography made for TV. 

“Today is a moment of hope. Yes, it is very different from what all of us had imagined,” IOC President Thomas Bach said. “But let us cherish this moment because finally we are all here together.

“This feeling of togetherness — this is the light at the end of the dark tunnel of the pandemic,” Bach declared before Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka received the Olympic flame from a torch relay through the stadium and lit the Olympic cauldron.

Uganda strolled out to the centre of the marvelous Olympic Stadium during the parade of nations as number 23 because the countries were arranged in the Gojūon order of Japanese writing system. 

Bwogi, Namutebi led the all masked-up delegation. A host of them gestured a strong haka-kind of impression before waving enthusiastically as they marched across the canvas. 

Organizers also held a moment of silence for those who had died in the pandemic; as it ticked off and the music paused, the sounds of the protests against the games echoed in the distance.

Uganda’s first event had happened earlier in the day when rower Kathleen Grace Noble finished 5th in heat 2 to set up a repechage slot in the women’s single sculls. 

• Countries match out of order at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics

• Teary moment as Ugandan weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko returns home from Tokyo

• Boxing draw held, Ugandans learn whom they will be facing in the men’s and women’s categories

• World No. 2 Naomi Osaka’s opening match at the Tokyo Olympic Games has been pushed back one day, to July 25

200-plus participating countries and their delegations of athletes marched through the Olympic stadium to kick off the Games on Friday. The Parade of Nations was held in the absence of fans due to the raging COVID 19 pandemic. With certain traditional exceptions including Greece – the historical home of the ancient Olympic Games – entering first and the host nation picking up the rear, the order of entry for the remaining nations is alphabetical. In English, that means Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. However, English is only used to determine the order when the Games take place in an English-speaking nation. Otherwise, as was the case in Tokyo, the nations were ordered based on their names in the host country’s native language. [NBC Olympics]

It was a tearful return for Uganda weightlifter Julius Ssekitoleko after he was deported from Tokyo. The 20-year-old was forcefully returned after a failed run-away attempt in Japan where he had gone to participate in the 2020 Olympics. Aboard Qatar Airways, QR 8313, the flight was right on the scheduled touchdown time of 8:30 am. Ssekitoleko carried a small backpack and looked visibly healthy though stressed as he was accompanied by an official from Japan. Internal Affairs official (Martha Okumu), as well as the newly appointed commissioner in charge of physical education and sports Rev Canon Duncans Mugumya, represented the Government of Uganda to welcome Ssekitoleko. His mother Juliet Nalwadda, spouse Desire Nampeewo and aunt Pauline Nakasagga all shed tears moments after the arrival of Ssekitoleko. [Kawowo Sports]

The draw for Boxing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was conducted on Thursday, July 22 at the Kokugikan Arena. Uganda took three boxers – Shadir Musa Bwogi (Welterweight), David Ssemujju Kavuma (Middleweight), and Catherine Nanziri (Flyweight) – to the prestigious event. Skipper Bwogi got a bye at the round of 32 and thus will start at the round of sixteen (on Tuesday, July 27 at 5:30pm – EAT) with the winner between Azerbaijan’s Lorenzo Sotomayor Collazo and Georgia’s Eskerkhan Madiev who fight on Saturday. [Kawowo Sports]

World No. 2 Naomi Osaka’sopening match at the Tokyo Olympic Games has been pushed back one day, to July 25, the International Tennis Federation confirmed to NBC Olympics. Osaka, who represents Japan, was originally scheduled to play China’s No. 52-seeded Zheng Saisai in the first match on center court on Saturday, the first day of tennis competition. The order of play for July 25 has not yet been released. The request to move the match came from Tokyo 2020 organizers, the ITF said. The reasoning is currently unknown. The Olympics will be Osaka’s first competition since she withdrew from the French Open in late May after saying she would not be doing press conferences at the event, which drew public backlash from Grand Slam organizers. [NBC Olympics]