Eight Track Athletes for Commonwealth Games

ATHLETICS will have only eight of the 48 athletes that Uganda has entered for the Commonwealth Games that are due in New Delhi October 3-14. There will be 29 officials, minus the general team officials.

Chef de Mission William Tumwine revealed last week that the tentative list of both the athletes and officials will total 77, minus the rugby entourage whose costs will be covered by the International Rugby Board.

"The list was entered and this is the total we are considering. We might however make some changes in the different disciplines, but we can not go over the total," said Tumwine.

Shooting and archery are back in the games with two and four athletes each, while squash will make its international debut with four athletes.

"We will be sourcing for more tickets for the other team members after the organizers offered 20," explained Tumwine. Uganda's entourage will have 17 female athletes.

The other disciplines that have been entered for the games include swimming (4), badminton (6), boxing (4), cycling (4), table tennis (4), tennis (4) and weightlifting (4).

Meanwhile, athletes gunning qualification to the world cross country championships reignite their campaign this weekend, when they take part in regional championships.

According to tathletics federation publicist Namayo Mawerere, the Kyabazinga cross country for the Busoga region will take place at Jinja while the western and eastern events take place in Rukungiri and Amuria respectively on Saturday.

The regions will use the events to select teams for the national championship in Amuria on February 6.

The top performers in Amuria will make the team to the world championship March 28 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

Buganda, northern and West Nile regions held their competitions a fortnight ago.