Musagala fails to run in DL over visa delay Allan Darren Kyeyune Middle-distance runner Ronald Musagala will have to wait a little longer before he makes a season bow abroad following a visa hitch last week. He was meant to be in Europe a week ago but yesterday, Musagala missed the 1500m event at the World Athletics Diamond League (DL) season opener in Gateshead, northeast of England. Over a week ago, Musagala’s passport was taken to the UK Embassy in a bid to secure a visa. Its return was delayed and he first missed the 1500m race at the 60th Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting in Czech Republic five days ago. “I had already got the visa to Ostrava,” Musagala said last week. Efforts by Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) and his management Global Sports Communication had almost reached fruition but he was late for Gateshead. “They were giving us some conditions to the passport yesterday [Saturday],” UAF administrator Timothy Masaba. “But the last available flight to the UK was last night [Saturday], meaning that even if he were to go, he had to race upon arrival. We are planning to have him (for other races) travel immediately we have his passport,” added Masaba. No race abroad in two years The hitch, coupled with a 2020 lull due to the coronavirus pandemic, means that Musagala has not run abroad in two years since stopping in the 1500m semifinal Heat at the Doha World Championships in October 2019. And that is mentally tough to bear for a man who twice posted the third fastest 1500m time in the world of 3:30.58, also the national record, in 2019. The 2018 Africa bronze medalist, however, set pace for his counterpart Abu Mayanja over the 800m at the UAF Trials in Namboole on Saturday. And earlier on Friday, Musagala together with world 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi and, boxing trio of Catherine Nanziri, Shadir Musa Bwogi and David Semujju attended a luncheon where sponsors Absa Bank offered an additional Shs26m to the Tokyo Olympics-bound team. “We will be opening accounts for all athletes with each a seed balance of Shs1m,” announced Absa CEO Mumba Kalifungwa. Absa last month offered an initial sponsorship of Shs50m to Uganda Olympic Committee. The bank plans to tap from its expertise to help develop financial literacy skills to empower the athletes to make the right financial decisions their your future. dkyeyune@ug.nationmedia.com