Ugandan official hails China for staging of Winter Olympics amid COVID-19

KAMPALA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A top Ugandan sports official on Wednesday hailed China for staging an impressive Winter Olympic Games amid a devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, told Xinhua that organizing a sports event during a pandemic is very demanding.

"These games are being hosted against a background of COVID-19 and this is not an easy time, but nevertheless, the opening ceremony was very good," Rukare said.

"We are following the Games and we are seeing a number of good performances from a lot of young people. I saw the 18-year-old doing a lot of good things in terms of breaking a number of records," he added.

He said Uganda had hoped to field one competitor but he failed to qualify for the snowboarding event.

Rukare urged African countries to emulate Nigeria and Ghana, who are fielding competitors at Beijing 2022.

"We would like to see the African footprint at the Winter Olympic Games becoming more entrenched, with more athletes being represented in the various disciplines," he said.

Rukare said the Olympic Games are the jewel in the crown of an athlete's career.

"The Games are a celebration of the joy and effort of the athletes. For most athletes, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of their sporting endeavors," he said, noting that some athletes spend eight to ten years preparing for the Olympic Games.