Other Sports

Ugandan racer wins IAAF GP race

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-04-30 08:43

Ugandan racer Abraham Chepkirwok has won the men's 800m in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Dakar Grand Prix Meeting, reports reaching Kampala on Monday.

The Gombe SS student, a bronze medalist at last year's IAAF World Junior Championships in Beijing, China, won the race that featured a couple of experienced international runners in a time of 1:46.85 on Saturday.

Kenya's Ismael Kipngetich finished second, timing 1:47.06. Botswana's Glody Dube clocked 1:47.13 to finish third while Senegal 's homeboy Abdoulaye Wagne settled for fourth position with 1:47.70.

"Clinching a medal in Beijing changed my whole outlook on training and competing. I am far more committed and I hope that this is the start of a great year that will see me win medals starting with the All Africa Games," Chepkirwok was quoted by the Daily Monitor as saying.

Chepkirwok left Senegal with 10 points which would work to his advantage at the June 2 IAAF New York Grand Prix, another leg of the IAAF World Athletics Tour.

The 18-year-old runner has now booked a place at the All Africa Games due July in Algiers, Algeria and the African Junior Championships slated for the same month in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Chepkirwok has also been preparing for his maiden appearance at the IAAF World Athletics Championships set for August 25 to September 2 in Osaka, Japan.

The Ugandan runner clocked 1:47.79 to take the bronze in the 800 category at the IAAF World Junior Championships held last August in Beijing, China.

In November 2006, Chepkirwok had been awarded the Upcoming Male Athlete of the East African country by Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) for his performance in Beijing.