It has been 36 years since Uganda earned their first and only Olympic gold medal, and they want to end this long drought in Beijing.

"Of course we want to win a gold medal. That's what we come here for," said Roger Ddungu, Chef de Mission, after the hoist of the Ugandan national flag in the Olympic Villae on Tuesday.

"Our middle- and long-distance runners are most likely to win the medal," Ddungu added.

Uganda's track and field team includes some world class athletes. Moses Ndiema Kipsiro grabbed a bronze in the men's 5,000m in 2007 Osaka World Championships. Men's 800m runner Abraham Kwemoi Chepkirwok finished fourth in Osaka. Men's 10,000m runner Boniface Toroitich Kiprop finished fourth at the Athens Games. The Athletics trio will be Uganda's medal prospects.

The Uganda Olympic delegation consists of 12 athletes, who will competing in track and field, swimming, boxing, weihtlifting and badminton.

The Uganda delegation arrived in Beijing on July 27. Talking about the Olympic Village, Ddungu said,"I have been to four Olympic Games, and this Olympic Village is the best I have ever seen."

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2008)