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UEL Sports student Hamiim Lubega sets sights on 400m at Beijing 2008

Tuesday 8 July 2008

Hamiim Lubega, a Sports Science student at the University of East London (UEL), is looking to book his place in the Great Britain 400m team for the Beijing Olympics, and has been invited to take part in the national trials in Birmingham this weekend, 11-13 July.

Hamiim (21) from Homerton, is in the first year of his Sports Coaching degree at UEL and, alongside his athletics training, is looking to develop his career in coaching and sports development. He balances a full-time training schedule with a busy programme of lectures and assignments.

To qualify for Beijing, Hamiim needs to shave 2 seconds off his personal best of 47.70, but having battled back through injury over the past year, he believes he can achieve his goal.

He said: "I’m really looking forward to the trials and I’m confident I can make it. My training schedule is really tough, but I'm enjoying it, and I get a lot from my studies too – the tutors at UEL are very supportive. The workload is intense, but I want to develop my mind as well as my body, and my education is a top priority.”

At school and college (Brooke House in Hackney), Hamiim enjoyed football and boxing, but came late to athletics, starting serious training in 2006, and within a year winning the bronze medal in the South England Championship. He trains with Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets Club.

His tutor Elizabeth Westhead said: "Hamiim isone of themost promising students on the course and is a pleasureto teach. Juggling his time between training and academic studies is tough, butHamiim's enthusiasmand confidence in what he doeshave helped him to achieve and aspire in both fields. We wish him all the best of luck inthe trials for the Beijing Olympics."

The University of East London is rated among the UK’s leading modern (post-1992) universities. UEL's School of Health and Bioscience is expanding its programmes in professional health sciences, physiotherapy and podiatry, health services management, biomedical science, and applied sports science.

In 2008, UEL’s new Centre for Clinical Education in Podiatry, Physiotherapy and Sports Science at Stratford was opened by HRH Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and a team from UEL will be in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For further information, visit www.uel.ac.uk/hab.

For details and pictures contact Daniel Cherry: 020 8223 2194

University of East London: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Office

Notes to Editors

The University of East London (UEL) is a global learning community with over 28,000 students from over 120 countries world-wide. Our vision is to achieve recognition, both nationally and internationally, as a successful and inclusive regional university proud of its diversity, committed to new modes of learning which focus on students and enhance their employability, and renowned for our contribution to social, cultural and economic development, especially through our research and scholarship. We have a strong track-record in widening participation and working with industry.

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