Ugandan President rewards Olympic gold medal winner

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni with the Olympic team at the State House in Entebbe, central Uganda, August
15, 2012. Standing next to him wearing a medal is Marathon Olympic Gold medal winner Stephen Kiprotich. (Xinhua/Jackson Oryada)

By Ronald Ssekandi
Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday rewarded Steven Kiprotich, a gold medal winner at the London Olympics, with 200 million shillings
(81,300 U.S. dollars).
Museveni also told Kiprotich who won the marathon that he would build a three bedroom house for his parents as requested.Museveni was hosting Kiprotich in Entebbe
40km south of the capital Kampala soon after he returned from London where he ended a 40-year-long wait for the East African country to win Olympic gold. Uganda last
won Olympic gold in 1972 when John Akii Bua won the 400m hurdles race in Munich. "I am so happy for all that has been done for me and my parents," said Kiprotich during
the breakfast that was attended by top government officials and his immediate family.

Museveni pledged that a high altitude training facility in the eastern part of the country would be ready in one year and that any medal winner would get financial support and
job placement if they wanted. Right from the airport to the capital Kampala, Kiprotich was given a heroic welcome with cheering crowds. A local newspaper, New Vision daily
has put up a fundraising drive to raise 500,000 dollars that will be given to Kiprotich.  (Xinhua)