Thursday, July 8, 2010

'Semenya will run in Finland'


Helsinki - South African world 800m champion Caster Semenya will return to competition next Thursday in the Finnish town of Lappeenranta, after an enforced break due to controversial gender tests, her agent said.

"If nothing extraordinary happens she will compete in Lappeenranta," Jukka Harkonen said on Thursday.

"She is suffering from mild 'flu, which is the only thing that could impact it, but we have booked flights and agreed on everything."

Semenya, who was cleared to compete as a woman by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on Tuesday, has not run competitively since undergoing gender tests at the Berlin world championships in August.

The Lappeenranta Games will be held on July 15 in the southeastern Finnish town, some 220 kms from the capital Helsinki.

"There are a few small competitions held in July and there is no point to start from a big competition. It better to get competition feeling from smaller ones," Harkonen said, adding that the fact that he was Finnish also had some bearing on the decision.

He said there had been talks about other competitions which Semenya might attend after Lappeenranta, but that no decisions had been made.

Semenya sprang to prominence last year with her rapid improvement over 800 metres. Her winning time in Berlin of one minute 55.45 seconds was the fastest of 2009.

On Wednesday, the 19-year-old South African ran 600 metres in fitness tests to determine if she was ready to compete after the long absence.

Her coach Michael Seme has said Semenya will not compete in the world junior championships in Canada later this month but might run in the African championships, which start on July 28.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

In loving memory of Happiness Gloria Nakajumo.





It is with a lot gratitude in our hearts that we the Nakajumo family, take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt gratitude to all those who were there for us in our time of great distress during the illness until the death of our Beloved Happiness Gloria Nakajumo, a sister to Victoria, Tonny, Anitha and Linda, a sister in law to George, and an Aunt to Allen, Edwin, Tamara,and Seka, a grandmother to Bernadette, Arthur Das and Anthony.

It is hard to mention everyone but our family would like to thank Doctors and Nurses of Aga Khan Hospital, Muhimbili Referral Hospital, and Apollo Hospital in Bangalore India: The Norwegian Embassy,The Munthali's family, Martha Nderimo and Selika Koka and all her friends in Norway, Tanzania, Canada and the United Kingdom,the Students of Bangalore University India, St. Alban's church, Father Msamati relatives and neighbours.

We thank you for spending the gloomy nights with us, the generous contributions, comforting words, messages, flowers and phone calls which were all heart warming. You really proved to be true companions.

"Proverbs 17:17"

Your presence was a great comfort and your assistance lifted a burden off our minds and hands.

"People do not die from us immediately but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life, which beans no relation to true immortality, but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they have travelled.

There will be a thankgiving mass on Saturday the 3rd of July 2010, at 09hrsoo at St. Alban's Church.

"May the Almighty God rest her soul in eternal peace, Amen"