Local sports journalists under their umbrella body Uganda sports press association (USPA) will this Friday evening converge at Imperial Royale hotel, Kampala to celebrate and crown the best athletes of 2018.
The annual glamorous event that attracts over 500 invited guests will this time be graced by the minister of education and sports, also the First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni.
Long distance runner Joshua Cheptegei, who won Gold in the 5000 and 10000kms at the 2018 Common Wealth Games in Gold Coast in Australia, is the favorite to clinch the 2018 gong.
Cheptegei also less than a week back, became the first Ugandan to win the Senior Men’s title at the World Cross Country Championships but that will count for the 2019 edition.
Cheptegei will battle with Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and Uganda Cranes skipper Dennis Onyango, who won the coveted award in 2016.
Recently named in 2018 Africa’s best XI, Onyango who was been voted the USPA best footballer for 2018 won the league title with Sundowns before helping Uganda Cranes qualify for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations where he was the only goalkeeper yet to concede a goal prior to the 3-0 humbling of Tanzania in the last qualifier game.
The other contenders for the Sports personality of the year include Rugby player Phillip Wokorach, who plays for Kabras Sugars in Kenya as well as She Cranes and Prisons’ netball player Lilian Ajio. won the Kenya 7s Championship, was top points’ scorer at the Kabeberi 7s and MVP at Christie 7s. Wokorach also led Kabras to the Kenya Cup (15s league) and Enterprise Cup (equivalent of Uganda Cup) finals. For her consistency with the She Cranes, assistant captain Ajio is the last pick having helped Prisons to the national league title and the East Africa Netball Championship. She was a stalwart too as Uganda took sixth place at Commonwealth Games before winning the Africa title to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
The Speaker of parliament Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga was the guest of honor at the same event and venue as David Emong went with the top gong of the previous year (2017) following his triumph in men 1500T46 World Para Athletes championship gold medal at the games in London.
