By Ian Nkera Ford
Ugandans were made to wait longer for a medal as two Ugandans Benjamin Kiplagat and Jacob Araptany faltered in the 3000m steeplechase final in the Moscow Championships. Araptany and Kiplagat finished 12th and 14th respectively in a race that was later won by pre-race favorite Ezequiel Kemboi.
All Ugandans will be resting their hopes on Uganda’s poster boy and star of the London Olympics Stephen Kiprotich that took place exactly a year ago. Ugandans have registered a dull stay in Moscow with a many of our hopefuls falling short of medals. The only bright light being Ronald Musagala putting up a debut spirited performance.
Stephen Kiprotich returns to the spotlight after shocking the world by arriving at the podium to a gold in the London Olympics. All eyes will be on the man who ended a 40 year wait for a gold medal last year. This time he re appears more known than he was before and again he has been tasked to erase the blushes that have blighted our Moscow experience.
On Saturday tomorrow, he will feel buoyed by the Ugandan company in Jackson Kiprop and Abraham Kiplimo as they both start the Marathon as the only Ugandan medal hopefuls.Kiprotich starts the race as the hot favorite but Kiprop has been viewed as the guy to upstage his Ugandan counterpart.Kiprop won the Mumbai Championships this year.
So Ugandans lets join hands and pray for our boys.
