Tanzania’s top runner to seek Tokyo Games ticket in Germany

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s long distance runner Augustino Sule will compete in the Hamburg Marathon scheduled to take place in Germany on April 18.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, Sulle said the event was earlier scheduled to take place tomorrow, but has been postponed due to unavoidable reasons.

Sulle said that this is the chance for him to secure a qualifying ticket for the Tokyo Olympic Games this year. Currently, there are very few Olympic qualifying opportunities in the Marathon due to the coronavirus pandemic. “This is my chance to secure a qualifying ticket to the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo, Japan, from July 23 to August 8. I am in Arusha preparing for the event,” he said.

He has been in intensive training, but postponement of many Olympics qualifying events hindered him from securing the required qualifying marks and join Alphonce Simbu and Failuna Matanga for the Summer Games.

Apart from runners, Tanzania also expects to send amateur boxers, judokas and swimmers to the Games which are held quadrennially. The Games were to be held last year in Japan, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Judokas are also in intensive training at Ukonga for the qualifying events to be held in Morocco, while amateur boxers are awaiting a decision from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Task Force to select the names as per rankings.

The decision has been taken following cancellation of the qualifying events which were slated to take place in Paris, France, next month due to travelling restrictions imposed by the government of France on account of the still raging Covid-19 viral pandemic.