The Uganda Athletics (UA) has already set the stage for the 24th edition of the annual Akii Bua Memorial Track and Field Championships due this weekend, June 13, 2026 at Uganda Christian University (UCU) Sports Ground, Mukono.
22 track and field competition events are however earmarked in UCU to celebrate the life of Akii Bua highlighted by the 400m hurdles gold medal he won on top of setting a new 47.82 sec World Record and Africa Record at the Munich Olympics in 1972.
The events lined up on the competition program include 100m (men and women), 200m (men and women), 400m (men and women), 800m (men and women), 1500m (men and women), 3000m (men and women), 5000m (men and women), long jump (men and women), shot put (men and women), discus (men and women), and javelin (men and women).
UA will use the competition as last qualifier for this year’s World Athletics Under-20 Championships due in Oregon, USA on August 4-9, 2026 and also a build-up for the Commonwealth Games due July 27 to August 1, 2026, in Glasgow, UK.
Akii Bua, the Ugandan hero had a remarkable technique and an excellent basic speed after first specialising in the 110m hurdles. He later transited to 400m hurdles whose performance in Munich was timed as new African Record and current National Record as well. His National record however still stands 54 years after the historical event.
It is however on record he went on to win the gold medal in Munich Olympics with little competitive experience having finished 4th in 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Akii Bua beat all challengers including the favourite, Great Britain’s David Hemery and America’s Ralph Mann by an emphatic improvement of the World Record to 47.82 on top of becoming the first athlete to dip under 48.0.
He later failed to defend the world title after Uganda and other countries’ withdrawal from the Montreal Olympics.
The former Senior Police Officer died in Kampala in 1997 at the age of 48. He had a temporary stint at coaching and was a Member of the National Council of Sports.
