ENTEBBE, Uganda, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan athletes on Thursday received a heroic welcome home from the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Fans gathered at Entebbe International Airport, 40km south of the capital Kampala to see the athletes who came back with three gold medals, and two bronze medals, the highest number of medals the country has ever won in a single international event.

Janet Museveni, minister of education and sports told the team on arrival that government will increase its sports budget.

"We have decided that the sports sector needs more investment and this will bring more medals and market the country more. We can see the country has potential to perform in sport," she said flanked by other government officials.

She thanked the team for the performance they exhibited at the Games in Australia.

At the Games, Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei won two gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m, while Stella Chesang bagged the women's 10,000m gold medal and Mercyline Chelangat bagged a bronze in the same race. Boxer Juma Miiro picked a bronze medal in the 46-49kg weight category.

"I am happy to be a Commonwealth Games double gold medalist. I have also entered the record books and this makes me happy to win them for my country," Cheptegei told Xinhua in an interview.

Charles Bakkabulindi, minister of state for sports said the young athletes have gained more international exposure even in other events like javelin where Uganda was not fielding athletes in the past.

After the meeting, the fans accompanied the team to the capital Kampala.