When the Uganda national athletics competitions for primary schools open in Mbarara this Sunday, a section of the participants will be excited that for the first time they are featuring on a competitive sport.
This year’s event will for the first time showcase activities and events designed for young children in groups of below eleven and fourteen years.
As a result, a team of junior athletes from Soroti say they are excited to take part in the national Athletics competition for the first time. Martine Edengu, one of the junior athletes says that they are happy about the opportunity because it will help young people develop interest in the sport without the fear of being edged out by more experienced participants.
At Soroti sports club ground, the children spent Friday doing final preparations to horn their skills in 50 metres hurdles, 60 metres flat, swing, short put, javelin, 50 by 4 meters relays and cross country, which are some of the competitions introduced for the junior level.
Amos Ajokon, a Games teacher at Arapai primary school who has been handling the Soroti district team, says that the initiative was long overdue to help tap the talents among the younger children without exposing them to stiff competition from the experienced adults.
He however said the rest of the activities and field events would remain unchanged mostly for the senior competitors.
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Soroti district team emerged 9th in the national primary schools athletics competition, which took place in Kabarole district and Ajokon says his team is optimistic of producing better results to move closer to the first position.
This will be the second time the competition is taking place during holidays, another initiative by the education ministry to ensure the activity does not interfere with academic programs.
