Uganda's Olympic-bound swimmer Gilbert Kaburu has revealed that he plans to retire after competing in the Beijing Olympics.
"I might have not won anything but I got the exposure needed. I can now afford to say that after the Games I will retire," Kaburu, who arrived at Beijing on Monday with the first batch of Ugandan Olympic team, was quoted by state media on Tuesday as saying.
The 26-year-old swimmer, who has been representing Uganda in different continental and international events since his teenage years, now rightly feels that reaching the Olympic Games is the climax of his competing career.
"There is a time to let go and this is it," he was quoted by the state-owned New Vision daily as saying.
Kaburu's first competition was in 1997 at the All Africa Swimming Championships in Nairobi and he went on to dominate Uganda's swimming scene from then on.
The sprinter, who has been training in swimming pools half the size of the Olympic standard in Uganda, is a little bit galled by the fact that he will compete in the 50m freestyle since his favorite category of the 50m butterfly is not featured at the Olympics.
"But I will have a chance to train for the two weeks I will spend in Beijing before the Games. I'm sure I will get used," he said.
Entering the Olympic Games under a wild card, Kaburu is under no illusions about the task at hand and has set his sights just on improving his personal best.
"I'm going to swim against a number of good swimmers and I will look at this as my sole target," noted the experienced swimmer.
Kaburu also serves as a swimming coach at the International School of Uganda, where he has been able to tutor another all-conquering national swimmer Rashid Karmali.
After walking out of the competing stage, Kaburu wants to be remembered for his contribution to swimming.
"I feel I have played my bit. That is the reason that I have now decided to move away."
Ugandan swimmers' performance in Olympic history.
The first time swimmers represented Uganda at the Olympics was in 1984 when Daniel Mulumba competed in the 100m freestyle and finished 7th. He also competed in the back stroke category but was the last to touch the finish line.
The next appearance was in Sydney in 2000 when Joe Atuhaire competed in the breast-stroke and failed to qualify for the first round while Supra Singhal, the first female swimmer to represent the country, finished 6th in the women's 100m freestyle. In 2004, Uganda was represented by Edgar Luberenga in the 50m freestyle, which saw him finished 8th in the heats.
(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2008)