Athletics body warns Simbu and Failuna against complacency

Dar es Salaam. Athletics Tanzania (AT) has warned athletes who have qualified for the Olympic Games not to be complacent.

Only two local athletes Alphonce Simbu and Failuna Matanga have so far qualified for the Games.

AT vice president (technical issues) Hamad Ndee challenged the duo to train even harder ahead of the multi-sport event.

His advice comes hours after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the Tokyo Olympics will begin on July 23 next year, after the coronavirus forced the historic decision to postpone the Games until 2021.

The IOC’s announcement comes less than a week after organisers were forced to delay the Games under heavy pressure from athletes and sports federations as the global outbreak worsened.

“The Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympics will be held from August 24 to September 5,” Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference.

Only hours earlier, Mori had said he expected a decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during the course of the week.

But on Monday evening, he said an emergency teleconference had been held with the IOC and the date finalised.

“We agreed that the timing of the event will be in summer as originally planned,