Uganda’s rising long-distance star, Samuel Simba Cherop, added another bright moment to his growing story on Thursday night, winning bronze in the men’s 5,000m at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh.
Under the floodlights of the Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Bin Abdulaziz Stadium, the 18-year old ran with confidence and composure.
Just days after taking silver in the 10,000m, Cherop returned to the track determined, battling through a tight pack to claim his second medal of the Games.
He finished in 13:46.45, narrowly behind Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew (13:46.26). Djibouti’s Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim won gold with a late kick, clocking 13:46.12.
The top three were split by fractions of a second, showing just how fierce the race was.
Cherop’s bronze pushed Uganda’s medal tally to 13, seven from athletics, making this the country’s best-ever outing at the Islamic Solidarity Games since joining in 2005.
As the Games approach Friday’s climax, Wrestling and Para-Powerlifting are Uganda’s last avenues for more hardware.
Rodger Kizza Mukyeda (Manana) takes on the nation’s final wrestling bout, while Dennis Mbaziira competes in the heavyweight Para-Powerlifting event at the Boulevard 01B Sports Arena.
The Games will close with an official ceremony at the Jenadriyah Camel Racing Track, wrapping up a memorable campaign for Team Uganda.
