Only three athletes to represent Tanzania at Tokyo Olympic games

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will be represented by only three athletes in the Tokyo’s Olympic Games after three runners failed to secure qualifying marks in Cape Town marathon yesterday.
The runners who will represent the country in the event scheduled to start on July 23rd to August 8th are Failuna Matanga, Alphonce Simbu and Gabriel Geay.
The runners who failed to qualify during Langa marathon in South Africa are Agostino Sulle, Faraja Lazaro and Jackline Sakilu.
In the event, Sulle finished seventh after clocking 2:13:52 while Lazaro finished ninth after clocking 2:15:40 whereas Jackline Sakilu clocked 2:37:54.
Sulle, who had high hopes for victory after securing sponsorship from China and Dubai-based shipping company Silent Ocean, failed to maintain his 2:07:45 marathon record at Toronto marathon in Canada last year.
Silent Ocean sponsored a round trip ticket and allowance to participate in the race recognized by the World Athletics Federation.
Qualifying marks for men runners is 2:11:30 and 2:29:30 for women. The race saw Elroy Gelant of South Africa winning gold medal after clocking 2:11:21 while Lesotho’s runners won the second and third position.
The winners in the women race were Naheng Khatala of Lesotho who clocked 2:28:05 and was followed by Zimbabwe’s Fortunete Chidzivo with 2:35:18 and Namibian, Lavinia Haitope who recorded 2:36:39.