Distance runner Moses Kipsiro has won his first ever Uganda Sports Personality of the Year award over the weekend after beating the Rugby Cranes, soccer ace David Obua, the national cricket team and female rally driver Susan Muwonge.
The 21-year-old runner collected 740 votes, 65 ahead of closest challengers the Rugby Cranes, and crowned at the glamorous utl-sponsored Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) gala Saturday night at Lugogo in Kampala.
"I thank everyone who has supported me and I pray to God that I can do better this year," Kipsiro was quoted by Daily Monitor on Monday as saying, noting that it is a very big achievement in his career.
Kipsiro became the eighth athlete to win the annual top award since 1974. Justine Arop, Francis Ogola, Julius Achon, Davis Kamoga, Catherine Webombesa, Dorcus Inzikuru and Boniface Kiprop are the other past winners.
Obua got 660 votes to finish third, the cricket team was fourth with 315 tickets and Muwonge fifth (230). Kipsiro's feat was no surprise, the athlete having grabbed two international medals in 2007.
He collected a 5,000m gold medal at the All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria and bronze in the same race at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
At the gala, attended by over 600 guests, outstanding sportsmen in all disciplines were rewarded while retired boxer Leo Rwabogo received an honorary Lifetime Achievement award.
"I thank USPA for recognizing me," Uganda's most decorated boxer Rwabogo, who secured a bronze at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and further engraved his name into the sports annals at the next Olympics in Munich with a silver medal.
Source: Xinhua
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