Abraham Kwadu Munabi: Uganda’s Greatest Triple Jumper

During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s an exceptional student at the prestigious demanding Health-related University at renowned Makerere University in Kampala recognized himself as a person of the leading African and Commonwealth of Nations’ triple jumpers. Abraham Kwadu Munabi, born on 19th December 1940, was like Uganda 1960’s champion sprinter Amos Omolo apparently a late-age entrant to important athletics opposition. Munabi was the most significant identify and medal hope in Uganda field athletics during the time. The national report that Munabi proven in the triple bounce, however stands 4 many years later on.

But no, it is not for his athletic achievements that the planet has largely appear to acknowledge Munabi. Dr. Munabi moved to the United states in the late-1970’s for sophisticated reports, where by he was associated in specialised experimentation and study in copy. In the place of much more than thirty years, Munabi’s name has appeared on a stream of study papers. Munabi is renowned as a fertility qualified, a reproductive endocrinologist. A board accredited gynecologist, Munabi launched and is director the Reproductive Science Institute of Suburban Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.

Munabi jumped to a personal greatest of 16.11m and nationwide triple soar history in September 1969. Here Munabi won gold in the triple jump at the East and Central African regional Online games. The yearly Video games were being held the cash metropolis Kampala in Munabi’s native Uganda. Munabi’s leap-duration earn of 16.11m far surpassed the competitors. At the identical match, Munabi gained gold in the very long bounce with 7.24m. Munabi would once more bag gold in the triple bounce at these regional Video games in 1972, held in the Tanzania money Dar-es-Salaam. The profitable size was 15.40m.

The next most sizeable worldwide sports activities gathering for Munabi would be the Commonwealth of Nation’s Games of 1970 that were being held in Edinburgh in Scotland. On July 24th, 20-8 worldwide rivals would interchangeably hop, skip, and leap in the qualifying spherical for the finals that would materialize the following day. Munabi, with a bounce of 15.51 meters, was positioned ninth out of the 13 finalists. The major five finalists have been Australian Mile McGrath (16.09m), Samuel Igun of Nigeria (16.08m), Mohinder Singh Gill of India (15.90m), Australian Phil May well (15.87m), and Tony Wadhams of England (15.80m). In spite of his ninth spot rating, Abe felt he would ably get a medal for Uganda. The finals witnessed Phil Gray (Australia), with a size of 16.72m, just take the gold Mike McGrath (16.41m) also of Australia, bagged the silver and Mohinder Singh (India) was 3rd immediately after a bounce of 15.90m. Abraham Munabi of Uganda was put, a not also disappointing, fourth (15.73m).

These Commonwealth of Nations Games of 1970 witnessed Uganda arise, with an outstanding assortment of medals, turning into the Commonwealth boxing champions. Boxing gold medals were won by Mohamed Muruli (light-weight-welterweight), James Odwori (gentle-flyweight) and Benson Masanda (heavyweight) and the silver medals were won by flyweight Leo Rwabwogo and lightweight Deogratias Musoke. In athletics, Uganda’s William Koskei (silver medal in 400m-hurdles) and Judith Ayaa (bronze medal in the 400m) have been the prize winners. John Akii-Bua (400m-hurdles), aged 20, was like Munabi, beaten into fourth location.

At the Olympics of 1972 that were being held in Munich, 31 yr-previous Munabi (out of the competing 6 male and 2 woman athletes) was Uganda’s oldest participant. At 5’11 (180 cm), Munabi was a relatively light 154 kilos (70 kg). There were being 36 internationals for the triple soar competition that took put from September 3rd to 4th. Munabi ended up with a instead mediocre greatest size of 15.82m, and was placed 22nd ranked over-all. Munabi’s foul in the 3rd Round halted his development. For convenience, Munabi had overwhelmed a third of the subject. The Olympic medal winners have been, respectively Viktor Saneyev of the Soviet Union, Jorg Drehmel of East Germany, and Nelson Prudencio of Brazil.

Munabi was identified to get gold at the up coming All-Africa Video games that would be held in August of 1973. Munabi was overwhelmed to 2nd place by Mansour Mamadou Dia of Senegal. But of significance Munabi experienced triple jumped to 16.26 meters, a national file that stands to this day. Gold medallist Mansour Dia experienced jumped to 16.53 meters, while bronze medallist Moise Pomaney of Ghana had attained 16.09 meters. Dia also won a bronze medal in the extended jump at these All-Africa Video games. Also, Mansour Dia experienced not only represented Senegal at the previous 3 Olympics, he had also obtained the particular most effective and national report at the previous 1972 Olympics (16.77m), a countrywide history that would stand for additional than 3.5 decades. At the Olympics, Dia who is only a 7 days youthful than Munabi was in general 13th in 1964, 8th in 1968, and 6th in 1972.

The overall Uganda functionality at the All-Africa Video games was exceptional, with boxers and athletes profitable an extraordinary selection of medals that Uganda has hardly ever come near to profitable in the Africa Games considering the fact that the 1973 overall performance (8 gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze). Uganda was sixth all round. In the next calendar year, Munabi would have competed for Uganda at the Commonwealth Video games that ended up held in Christchurch in New Zealand. Just one of his impediments ended up the trying finals he experienced to attend to in his Medication method at Makerere University.

Munabi concluded 6th in the triple leap at the 1976 Montreal pre-Olympic fulfill. Joshua Owusu (also Commonwealth of Nations Games’ champion) of Ghana right here gained the gold. In the journal “Africa” (1976: 142) Munabi, now aged 34, is described as having slender hopes of profitable an Olympic medal for Africa, but as currently being a significant inspiration for the long run of area athletics in Uganda. Without a doubt, at that time, it was Munabi who was Uganda’s field athletics’ best strike. At the identical pre-Olympic meet, Ugandan boxer, Mustapha Wasajja, later on to transform expert and come to be a leading-rated entire world fighter, received Uganda’s lone gold. However, Uganda, as did numerous other nations, boycotted and withdrew from the Olympic Video games that would before long take spot in Montreal.

The tradition of sporting activities and educational excellence prevails in the Munabi spouse and children. Son Tunji Adrian Munabi was a pupil and all round-athlete at prestigious Stanford University in Palo Alto in California. Tunji was a major goal-scorer for the Stanford Cardinals, also a triple bounce and very long leap winner. But the son has not smashed the relatives triple-bounce and lengthy-bounce documents that the father set up. Naikhoba another great student and athlete, the sister of Tunji, lately joined Stanford and competes in the triple leap.

As for Uganda, recent accolades and hope in the triple leap competitiveness occur by way of Sarah Nambawa (a observe and industry athlete) who in the past few of decades has turn into triple leap Africa winner (Nairobi, August 2010), recognized a Uganda document (13.95m), and was put fifth at the Commonwealth Online games of 2010 that have been held in New Delhi. Previously the 2010 IAAF/VTB Bank Continental Cup held in Split in Croatia in early September 2010, versus imposing international levels of competition Uganda’s Nambawa finished 6th with her 13.78m soar. Also, earlier, competing for Middle Tennessee Condition College in Murfreesboro, in June 2010, Nambawa’s leap of 13.66m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships that have been held in Eugene in Oregon put her as 2nd general.

There is enough space for Nambawa to ably displace “Abe” as Uganda’s biggest triple jumper. Nambawa is undoubtedly the most correct athlete to rekindle our recollections of the sporting activities achievements of Abraham Munabi.