Ugandans celebrate team’s performance as curtains fall on Tokyo Olympics

Ugandans have taken to social media to celebrate their team’s performance at the just concluded 2020 Olympics games in Tokyo, Japan.

Uganda finished the games on a high after finishing 35^th overall, and second in Africa, only below Kenya during the games that officially ended on Sunday.

The Ugandan team won two gold medals at this year’s Olympics, a feat that had never been achieved in 65 years for the East African country, also christened the Pearl of Africa for its immense beauty.

Whereas Uganda has participated in every edition of the games since 1956, they had managed to win only two gold medals in 1972 by John Akii-Bua and Stephen Kiprotich in 2012.

However, the team reached a new feat during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after bagging two gold medals thanks to Peruth Chemutai in the women’s 3000m steeplechase race and world 5000m record holder, Joshua Cheptegei who triumphed in the men's 5,000m finals.

In total, the team that had 27 athletes collected a total of four medals.

Celebrations

Several Ugandans led by the First Lady and Minister for Education and Sports, Janet Museveni took to social media to celebrate the team’s performance at the games held after every four years.

“Congratulations to all the young people who participated in the Olympics in Tokyo. We saw you fight hard to make Uganda proud. Whether you won a medal or not, we salute you,” Janet Museveni tweeted on Sunday.

Opposition strongman and Forum for Democratic Change’s Dr.Kizza Besigye also joined in the celebrations.

“Well done Team Uganda!! In spite of the pervasive challenges, you put up a great performance. Uganda has incredible talent; we can do much better if we invest more in developing and promoting sports,” Besigye tweeted.

The opposition strongman specifically hailed athletes Joshua Cheptegei, Peruth Chemutai, and Jacob Kiplimo for winning medals for Uganda.

“A huge applause too for Kapchorwa and Bukwo Districts, the Sebei region, and all who have natured the athletes,” he added.

Newly appointed Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance, Dr.Ramathan Ggoobi was not left out as he celebrated the team’s performance.

“Uganda, the pearl of Africa leaves Tokyo 2020 ranked 9^th in athletics and 35^th overall in Olympic medal count after 206 countries participated. This is super phenomenal. Congratulations to team Uganda,” Ggoobi said.

Former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura celebrated the team's stellar performance with a 16km run in his Kashagama country home in Lyantoonde district.

“This morning, together with my staff we ran 16kilometres in our beautiful undulating Katebe, Kashagma to celebrate and honour our heroes of the Tokyo Olympics and the glory they have brought to our country Uganda,” Kayihura said in a statement on Sunday.

Many other Ugandans used social media to not only heap praise on the team that represented the country at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo but also to call on government to increase its funding and support to sports in the country.