Olympics: Museveni Awards Medallists With Cars, To Build Houses For Parents

President Museveni has awarded athletes Joshua Cheptegei, Peruth Chemutai and Jacob Kiplimo with brand new vehicles to appreciate the trio for delivering medals for the country.

Cheptegei won gold (5000m) and silver (10000m), Chemutai clinched gold (3000m SC) while Kiplimo bagged bronze (10,000m) at the concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The President, in a state reception of the team at Kololo, also promised to build homes for parents of all the three medallists.

The trio will also receive monthly remuneration from the Government, as earlier promised in 2013.

Every gold medal winner banks Sh5m, Silver and bronze is given Sh3m and Sh1 in that order for winning at Olympics, Commonwealth and African games.

With four medals, Uganda finished second behind Kenya at the concluded games.

“I recently read an article written by one of your people saying that our success in Japan was a miracle,” President Museveni stated.

“They said that countries like Kenya and South Africa spent big on Sports sector. South Africa had around Sh264bn while we spent Sh18bn.

“This was not a miracle. Our country is uniquely endowed with highland communities that enable athletes to run and participate competitively.

“Why the success is coming now? Its because one of things that was missing was peace. The people of Bukwo (where Chemutai comes from) were being raided by Karamajong and neighbours of Kenya in the past. People could not train, they were raided away from their homes. Now there is peace.

“The success is also a product of PLE (free education for all). Though the elites have refused to embrace it fully.

“Help me implement UPE fully and USE. Let no child drop out of school. So that we can be able to see their talents well but they are just disappearing without seeing their talents well.”

He also tasked the Sports Minister Hamson Obua to set up a network to identify the talented young ones to join the Armed forces because “it will give them more freedom to train.”

“Allow me give ach one of these medalists a vehicle and I will build houses for their parents,” the President added.

“In my low cost approach, I gave an order some years back but it was not fully implemented. Any one who wins a medal at Africa, Commonwealth and Olympics has to be paid by the government monthly.

“I just learnt recently that they were being paid quarterly! I did not say quarterly. I speak english very well.”

Dominic Otuchet, the President of Uganda Athletics Fedeeation, reminded the President that Stephen Kiprotich’s house is not completed while the car promised to Halimah Nakaayi is yet to be fulfilled.


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