Uganda at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
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| Uganda at the 2016 Summer Paralympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IPC code | UGA |
| NPC | Uganda National Paralympic Committee |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 1 in 1 sports |
| Flag bearer | David Emong |
| Medals Ranked 69th |
|
| Summer Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
Uganda sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the eighth appearance of the country in the Summer Paralympic Games after it debuted forty-four years prior at the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics. Athletics track runner David Emong was the sole athlete representing Uganda in Rio de Janeiro. He took part in the men's 400 metres T45–47 competition on 8 September and did not qualify for the finals because he was fifteenth overall. Emong participated in the men's 1500 metres T45–46 event later that day and he took Uganda's first medal in Paralympic competition by coming second in the final.
Uganda made its Paralympic debut at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. After competing at the 1976 Toronto Paralympics, they were absent from the Summer Paralympics until the 1996 Atlanta Games, and have taken part in every Summer Paralympic Games since.[1] These Rio de Janeiro Games were the nation's eighth appearance at a Summer Paralympiad.[1] Uganda had not won its first Paralympic medal before the Rio de Janeiro edition.[1] The 2016 Summer Paralympics were held from 7–18 September 2016 with a total of 4,328 athletes representing 159 National Paralympic Committees taking part.[2] Athletics track runner David Emong was the only competitor for Uganda in Rio de Janeiro.[3] Three other athletes, Christine Akullo, Emmanuel Vukoja and Bashir Bwanga, failed to make the team due to them missing their final qualifying meets.[3] Emong was chosen as the flag bearer for the parade of nations during the opening ceremony.[4]
Medallists
Uganda finished tied for ninth among African countries for the total number of medals won and sixty-ninth overall, winning one silver. Ethiopia and the Ivory Coast also won a single silver medal.[5]
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Silver |
David Emong | Athletics | Men's 1500 m T45-46 | 16 September[6] |
Disability classification
Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of five disability categories; amputation, the condition may be congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes, there is often overlap between this and other categories; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis.[7][8] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics, divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming, group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on the severity of the disability.[9]
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