David GOMBE
Sports manufacturing gurus NIKE have gifted double Ugandan Olympic Athlete Hon. Julius Acon with a brand new land cruiser.
Acon is also the member of parliament for Otuke county in Lira city, Northern Uganda.
The gift comes after he was inducted in World Olympian for life in Tokyo, Japan 2020. He became the only African Athlete to be inducted into World Olympian for Life as well as the best humanitarian.
He was picked alongside Japanese, Koji Murofushi (Athletics), Alan Pascoe (Great Britain, Athletics), Rachael Lynch, (Australia, Hockey) and Donna da Varona (the U.S, swimming).
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The former Middle distance runner who specialized in the 1500m represented Uganda at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympic games.
He hailed Nike for the gift,
“Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. Thanks to Nike Running Company for the gift of a brand-new Land cruiser.”
Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could ever have imagined. You have surrounded me with people who always look out for me. Thanks to Nike Running Company for the gift of a brand-new Land cruiser pic.twitter.com/OpxCmZTeB6
— Hon Julius Acon MP Otuke East County (@MpOtuke) November 13, 2022
He added,
“After I was in inducted in World Olympian for life in Tokyo , Japan 2020. I have received a gift from NIKE, because I was the only athlete from Africa Inducted into World Olympian for Life and also as the best Humanitarian. I also want to encourage the young people not to lose hope.”
After I was in inducted in World Olympian for life in Tokyo , Japan 2020. I received it today. Coz I was the only athlete from Africa Inducted into World Olympian for Life.And also as the best Humanitarian.
Also want to encourage the young people not to lose hope
— Hon Julius Acon MP Otuke East County (@MpOtuke) November 13, 2022
Briefly on Acon
Born on 12th December, 1976 to poor parents and raised in war-torn northern Uganda in the 1980s, Acon started his Athletics career in 1988 in P.6.
He studied at Makerere College School in Kampala on a sports scholarship and started competing on the international athletics circuit in the short distance races.
In 1994, Acon won the 1,500 gold at the 1994 World Junior Championships in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1995, Acon won a Bronze in 1,500 metres in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Acon won another sports scholarship in 1995 to the U.S (George Mason University) to study and also pursue his athletics career which lasted over a decade. He once held the 800 metres American Collegiate In-season Record set in 1996 (1:44:55) which lasted for 21 years.
Acon also held Uganda’s record in the 1,500 metres (3:53:38) which lasted 24 years until Ronald Musagala broke it in 2021.
In 1996, Acon competed in the Olympics Games in the 1,500 metres category in Atlanta, U.S. and in 2000; he competed in Sydney, Australia. He was team captain on both occasions. He also competed twice (1,500 metres) in the Commonwealth Games (Victoria, Canada 1994 and Birmingham, U.K 2002).
