Team Tanzania ready for medal rush

Dar es Salaam. Kampala is the centre of attraction today as the eagerly awaited IAAF World Cross Country Championships take place.

Twenty seven Tanzanian runners will be battling it out for medals in five different races with the athletics community looking forward to a magnificent participation.

Tanzania has two medals only in the biannual event; gold and silver, which were won in 1991 and 2002 by Andrew Sambu and John Yuda respectively.

This is yet another chance for the Tanzanian runners to end a lengthy medal drought that has spanned 15 years.

The team arrived in the Ugandan capital on Friday safely with Jackline Sakilu and Fabian Joseph promising nothing short of victory.

The duo, who are among the seasoned long distance runners in the team, were upbeat that the current group has all it takes to snap Tanzania’s unimpressive performance on the international stage.

Sakilu, the winner of multiple domestic medals said: “The unity is there and the morale is high, so I am confident that we will spring some surprises on Sunday (today).

“We trained for a long time, so what is remaining is to show what we trained in action. We will give our best shot and hopefully this group will end the medal drought.” For his part, Joseph echoed Sakilu’s remarks, adding that they have youthful runners who can perform wonders in Kampala.

“We have a strong squad that is capable of overcoming any opposition. There are a lot of youthful athletes, so I am optimistic that we will win several medals this time around,” he told The Citizen via telephone from Kampala.

Sylvester Naasi also oozed confidence that they will cart home medals, playing down the threat Kenyan and Ethiopian competitors pose.

“We have nothing to worry. We have trained well and in the best way possible. We have done enough and I can assure Tanzanians that we will upstage the favourites. We just have to work as a team from the start to the end,” said Naasi.

The runners will battle it out in different races including the 10 kilometre event, whose competitors are Emmanuel Giniki, Bazil John, Gabriel Geay, Fabiano Joseph, Wilbaldo Malley, Josephat Gisemo and Sylvester Naali.

In the 10km race for senior women, Tanzania will be represented by Magdalena Shauri, Angelina Tsere, Failuna Tanga, Sarah Makera, Siata Kalinga and Mayslelina Mbua.

Junior men will compete in the 8km event and Tanzania will have its representation through Francis Damiano, Yohana Elisante Sulle, Ramadhan Hamisi, Elisha Wema, Anthony Wema and Joshua Sulle.

Junior women (6km): Asha Mohamed Ngoo, Noela Khaday, Elizabeth Ilanda and Shamima Salum. Mixed relay race (8km): Faraja Lazaro, Marco Monko, Sicilia Panga and Jackline Sakilu.

Over 500 runners from 59 nations have converged in Kampala for the championships, which has been dominated by Kenya and Ethiopia since 1981.