Ugandan marathon legend Kiprotich joins Sports Council

Ugandan athletics legend Stephen Kiprotich has been appointed a member of the council of the National Council of Sports (NCS).

The appointment of the 2012 Olympic champion to the 11-member council that regulates sport in Uganda was communicated on Tuesday.

Kiprotich won marathon Gold in London, Uganda’s first since 1972. He would go on to clinch World Athletics Championships Gold in Moscow a year later.

Although still active, Kiprotich's best years are behind him and failed to finish the marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

In a letter, signed by Hamson Denis Obua, the state minister for sports, former basketball body president Ambrose Tashobya takes over as chairman.

Tashobya replaces Dr Don Rukare, also president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, who has been chairman for the past two years.

His term in charge of the Federation of Uganda Basketball Association (Fuba) ran from 2007 to 2019 when he was replaced by Nasser Sserunjogi.

From the previous council, Cecilia Anyakoit, Zubair Galiwango, Andrew Oteng Owiny, Dr George William Galiwango, Evelyn Gloria Piyola and Agatha Namirembe are retained.

Former Uganda Netball Federation (UNF) president Susan Anek Ongom joins the council along with Juliet Oyulu to bring the number of women to five, the highest since NCS was formed in 1964.

Derrick Namisi completes the council whose sittings are complemented by the NCS general secretary Dr Bernard Patrick Ogwel in an ex-officio capacity.

Veteran journalist Mark Ssali is among those dropped. The others to exit are Grace Abalo, Stephen Asiimwe and Paul Luswata.