Duncan Mugabe, Uganda’s top tennis player and winner of a bronze medal at the 2011 All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, has missed out on representing the country at this month’s London Olympics.
Cedric Babu, chairman of the Uganda Lawn Tennis Association (ULTA), told URN this afternoon on phone that it was sad that after too much work and even moving to the US the player had failed to qualify. Babu says the International Tennis Federation wrote to ULTA claiming that the last qualifiers, where Mugabe would have had a chance to get a wildcard if he performed well, had been cancelled.
Ten days ago the world tennis body had written to ULTA giving Mugabe chance to feature in three International tournaments in Europe to determine if he could be granted a wildcard for the 2012 London Olympics.
Already, Uganda’s swimmer Ganzi Mugalu and weightlifter Charles Ssekyaya were awarded wildcards by their respective international bodies.
Babu said he had argued with ITTF saying their procedure is not good for developing tennis. Babu says he wanted them to explain why they dropped Zimbabwe’s Takanyi Garanganga, who won gold at the All Africa Games and instead considered Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri who is an ATP player.
In a letter sent to Babu by ITTF’s Olympic/Event Operations Officer, Tom Boyle, a copy of which URN has seen, it was mentioned that Mugabe had missed out on Olympics because of strong competition. Uganda now remains with 15 athletes who are expected to take part in the games later this month, although two others are expected to make it in athletics.
Team Uganda
Uganda's team at this year's Olympics is dominated by athretes. They include Moses Ndiema Kipsiro (5,000m, 10,000m), Annet Negesa (800m), Benjamin Kiplagat (3,000m steeplechase), Janet Achola (1,500m), Jane Suuto (Marathon), and Stephen Kiprotich (Marathon). The others are Jacob Araptany (3000m steeplechase), Geoffrey Kusuro (5,000m), Abraham Kiplimo (5,000m), Julius Mutekanga (800m) and Thomas Ayeko (10,000m).
The team also has swimmers Jamila Lunkuse (Women) and Ganzi Mugula (Men), weightlifter Charles Ssekyaya (Men) and Badminton star Edwin Ekiring (Men).
