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SWIMMING: HUSNAH KUKUNDAKWE QUALIFIES FOR (2020) TOKYO PARALYMPICS.

SWIMMING: HUSNAH KUKUNDAKWE QUALIFIES FOR (2020) TOKYO PARALYMPICS.

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Uganda para-swimmer Husnah Kukundake made history on Friday. 08th. April. 2021 in Sheffied, United Kingdom as she attained the required time to qualify for the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games.

The 14- year old put on her best show, clocking 1:36:3 to beat the 1:37.44 minimum entry time (MET) for the Paralympics in the 100m breaststroke event at the World Series that was hosted at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield, United Kingdom.

Speaking about her performance at the event and qualification for the Paralympics, Kukundakwe’s coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi said:

“We are happy with the performance here but can’t get carried away because our target is to win big at the Paralympics.

“This event helped us qualify but it came in the middle of our training so we cannot put our tools down now.

“We have also learnt that we have a lot to do on the freestyle. The four months we have make a full training season and we expect to make major improvements before the games.”

According to her mother who also doubles as her manager, Hashima Batamuriza; Kukundakwe requires more support for training in terms of funds and equipment.

“We will need as much access to a 50m pool and finances to a tune of Ug. Shs. 4.700.000 million for training for the four months before the games,” Batamuriza said.

Batamuriza’s main concern will be trying to find a place with a 50m pool because in Uganda this facility isn’t available.

The Summer Paralympics will be hosted in Tokyo, Japan starting on Tuesday. 24th. August to Sunday. 05th. September. 2021.

Originally the games were due to take place between 25th. August and 06th. September 2020 but on 24th. March. 2020, the International Olympics Committee and the Tokyo Organizing Committee officially postponed the 2020 Summer Paralympics would be postponed to 2021 due to the COVID -19 Pandemic but continued to publicly market them as the 2020 Summer Paralympics; even with the change in scheduling to one year later.

This is the first time that the Paralympics have been postponed.

 By Joseph Mary Ssempiira www.sportznow.ug writer.

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