Erasmus Samuel AO Amukun was born on November 27, 1940 at Ngora in Kumi, in eastern Uganda. He is best known for his exploits as a collegiate and international sprinter and as a professional geologist. He represented Uganda at the British Empire Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games and the East and Central African Games. Amukun is also credited with beating Kenyan sprint legend and future Commonwealth Games (1962, Perth) gold medalist Seraphino Antao in a race.
In 1958, at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales (July 17-26, 1958), the teenage Amukun did not advance beyond the fifth of twelve preliminary heats in the 100-yard dash. In heat 5 he finished in 9.9 seconds, in fourth place. But his teammate Benjamin Kiyini Nduga, who had finished ahead of Antao, qualified and went on to the semi-finals where he would be eliminated. In the 220 yards, Amukun was second in the eighth (22.14) of nine preliminary round heats. Later, in the fourth of the six quarter-final ties he had qualified for, he was eliminated after finishing third in 22.1. But in the 4×100 yards, the Ugandan relay team Amukun was part of finished sixth in the final (42.1). Also on the Ugandan relay team were Ben Nduga, Ignatius Okello and S. Bwowe. They had advanced to the final after finishing third (42.47) in the first round which was a semifinal.
Amukun, 19, was the captain of the Ugandan team at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. In the young Uganda team, Amukun was the youngest and 21-year-old Aggrey Awori was the oldest.
On August 31, 1960, Erasmus Amukun competed in the fourth of nine heats in the 100 m first round series, in which the fastest three in each heat would advance to the next round: the quarterfinals. He finished third in 10.80, qualifying for the next round. Notably, in this first round, his 21-year-old Ugandan compatriot Aggrey Awori (Awoori), who competed in the third heat, was eliminated after finishing fifth (11.09). Kenyan Seraphino Antao (10.64) comfortably finished first in the first heat of this preliminary round and thus advanced to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals held later that day, Amukun was placed to run in the third of four heats. He would finish fourth (10.75) and be eliminated as he was not in the top three in the series. But this would be the fastest he would officially run in the 100m. Antao finished third in the fourth heat (10.61) and went on to the semifinals. On September 1, Antao finished sixth (10.72) in the second of two semi-final heats and was ineligible for the final.
The 200 m competition began on September 2, and Amukun was placed in the fifth heat of the twelve first-round heats in which the top two finishers in each heat would proceed to the quarter-final round. Amukun finished second (21.38) and moved on to the quarterfinals. This would officially be the best of his life in the 200 m. As for him, Antao won in the eleventh round (21.44), easily passing to the next round.
In the 200m quarterfinals held later that day, Amukun placed in the first of four heats. He finished fourth (21.47) and was eliminated from advancing to the semifinals as he was not in the top three in the series. He also in fourth place, but in the second round of the quarterfinals, Seraphino Antao (21.43) was also eliminated.
Uganda also competed in the 4x100m relay scheduled for September 7, 1960. There were four heats in the first round and Uganda finished fifth with 41.90 but had already been disqualified. In some of the other heats, Poland and France were also disqualified. The Ugandan relay team had also included Aggrey Awori, Jean Baptiste Okello and Gadi Ado.
In 1961 at the Central and East African Championships at the Nakuru venue in Kenya, Erasmus Amukun had won the 440 yards in 48.0 seconds. Samuel Amukun was also part of the Ugandan 4×100 yards relay team that won in 43.1 in Nakuru.
Near the end of 1961, Amukun successfully completed the 2-year Cambridge Advanced Secondary School Certificate, majoring in science, at King’s College Budo (Buddo) near Kampala, where he resided at Mutesa House.
Sam Amukun competed in the annual IC4A (or ICAAAA, (Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America), which is a men’s competition held at different universities each year. Amukun was then an undergraduate student at Colgate University in Hamilton in New York.At the IC4A at Villanova in Pennsylvania in late May 1964, Amukun won in the 100 yards in 9.7.It was a photo finish with Earl Horner of Villanova University, and it was decided that Amukun chest forward on tape he had won (Green 1964: 5).
At the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics, the 23-year-old Amukun would represent Uganda in the 200m and 4x100m relay. Placed in the second heat of eight preliminary round heats, Amukun finished fifth (21.55) on October 16 and was eliminated as he was not in the top four of the heat. Kenyan Antao advanced to the quarterfinal heats after finishing second in the third heat (21.52). Antao would be, in the quarterfinals, then eliminated.
On 20 October, the Ugandan 4x100m relay team of Awori, Amukun, James Odongo and Amos Omolo finished sixth (41.4) in the third of three first-round heats; so the team did not advance to the semifinals.
Revenge was sweet at the annual IC4A Championships held in 1965 in Brunswick, New Jersey in late May. Here Villanova’s Horner, who had lost to Colgate’s Amukun in the 100 m in 1964, won in both short sprints, with Amukun finishing third in the 100-yard sprint. But earlier that year, in early May, the Ugandan Olympian had triumphed in both short sprints in the track meet in which the Raiders of Colgate faced Syracuse University (Orange) at Archbold Stadium. of Syracuse. Also, in mid-April at Cornel University vs. Colgate meeting, Amukun, the meeting record holder, was beaten in second place in both short sprints by Cornel’s Charles Blaugrund (9.9 in the 100 yards), second effort in the 100 yards. dash was enough to beat Colgate’s Sam Amukun, the competition’s record holder and one of the favorites in the event. Amukun had covered the distance in 9.6 seconds the previous week. In the 220-yard sprint, Blaugrund again (22.5) was followed by the Ugandan across the finish line.
Just before Amukun died in 1998 at age 57, he was an exploration manager for Northwest Explorations in Canada. Amukum earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Colgate in 1966 while on an athletic scholarship. He would earn a master’s degree in geology from the University of Manitoba in 1969. The title of his master’s thesis is: “Petrography of Gold Vein Rocks of the Bissett Area, Southeastern Manitoba.”
Amukun returned to Uganda to work at Falconbridge’s Kilembe mine, but fled to Canada with his wife in 1972 due to insecurity and anger over Idi Amin’s dictatorial military regime.
After his death, it was reported that upon leaving Uganda, for 25 years, Amukun worked as a field geologist for the Ontario Geological Survey, Noranda and Urangesellschaft, and then started his consulting business. In 1996, he joined Northwest Explorations and became exploration manager for the company’s Guyanese projects. He was a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, the Canadian Association of Prospectors and Developers and the Geological Association of Canada.
Samuel Erasmus Amukun compiled and wrote extensively and his books include: “Precambrian Geology, Little Marshall Lake Area” (1989), “Geology of the Klob Lake Area, Thunder Bay District” (1984), “Geology of the Willet Lake Area , Thunder Bay District” (1979), “Geology of the Tashota Area, Thunder Bay District” (1977), “Gledhill Lake Area Geology, Thunder Bay District” (1980), “Geology of the Lake Gledhill Area, Lake, Thunder Bay District” (1980) and “Willet Lake, Thunder Bay District” (1979).
Amukun had been married to Daphne for 29 years, and was also survived by his daughter Nasheba and sons Settu and Mwenu.
Works Cited
Green, Bob (AP). “Villanova Is Titlist IC4A Again; G-Burg Entry Quarter”. Gettysburg Times, June 1, 1964: 5.