Posted on 03/07/2006 5:47:44 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
KEEP away from Australian women, Ugandan athletes heading for the Commonwealth Games have been told.
The warning, from Ugandan sports chief Denis Mugabo, follows the laying of rape charges against a Ugandan athlete at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Prosecutors later dropped the charges against Ugandan swimmer Joe Atuhaire, 22, who had been accused of having sexual intercourse without consent with a 17-year-old Sydney girl during the Games.
"Keep away from the Australian women or else you will end up in prisons like the Ugandan swimmer during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games," Mr Mugabo, director of the Ugandan ministry of education and sports, told departing athletes.
Arrested in Adelaide and extradited to Sydney, Atuhaire was granted bail but had to remain in Australia while the rest of the Ugandan team left the country after the Olympics.
Prosecutors failed to prove the charge against him, Mr Mugabo said.
But he said: "The government of Uganda and Ugandans at large were embarrassed by the incident and we are not ready to entertain another one of that kind."
The caution came as officials farewelled 14 Ugandan team members heading for Melbourne, where the Commonwealth Games open next week.
As well as warning the athletes about Australian girls, Mr Mugabo also told them not to get involved in drinking alcohol.
Among the Ugandan sportsmen who left for Australia today were four boxers and 10 rugby players.
Atuhaire, from Kampala, swam in the heats for the 100m breaststroke during the Sydney Games but failed to qualify. He was the slowest of 65 competitors.
I think "no beer" means skipping lunch and dinner but I'm sure never going to risk finding out.
The purpose of the Olympics is not for raping women. That's what UN peacekeeping missions are for.
Fair dinkum.
They should be particularly careful of that. We don't want the Ugandans (or anyone else!) leaving more than memories after the Games.
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