Ugandan weightlifter dies of heart attack
By Norman Miwambo
20th Feb 2012:
Left: Kibirige on a visit to Uganda
A promising Ugandan weightlifter has died of heart attack. Stanley Kibirige, who was based in Norway, died on February 8. Prior to his death, Kibirige had been described as “one of the finest creatures in the sport of weighting Uganda has ever had”. He had also been tipped for a potentially lucrative role as a ‘Gladiator’ in Hollywood.
Only a few months earlier, Kibirige had produced what some had described as “the performance of the century”. Kibirige’s father Mr Henry Sseruga Ssebunya spoke to this reporter about his family’s loss. “…It’s hard to imagine not having Stanley around me. He’s been part of my life and he lived it on his own terms. We as a family, we will miss him so dearly.” the deceased’s father said.
Mr Sseruga also spoke of his relationship with his departed son, and said, “…he’s been my best friend. Not only have I lost a son, but a friend as well. He has been in my hands since his childhood…he has never given me any headache. Whilst he lived on his own terms, he couldn’t do anything without consulting me. It is a real shock to my life.”
Exiled former UPDF Colonel Samson Mande, who is based in Sweden, also spoke of his association with the late Stanley Kibirige. “…It’s a pity. Stanley was my colleague in some business here [Sweden]. We shall miss him a lot.” Col. Mande told this reporter. Col. Samson Mande was joined in moaning the late Kibirige by Capt. Kabali, another exiled UPDF officer.
“…It took us more than 6 hours to believe that Stanley passed away, or to find out what happened to him. I learned through his girlfriend that my best friend had passed-away. He wasn’t complaining of anything. He was in his usual shape. It is still difficult to get to terms with this kind of trauma,” Capt. Kabali said.
Capt Kabali is now heading a committee charged with the task of repatriating Stanley’s body to Uganda. At the time this reporter spoke to Kabali, he said they were still waiting for the postmortem report which was expected last Thursday before deciding when to fly the body home. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
