Simbu, Geay and Shauri will miss Commonwealth Games
Tanzania’s top long-distance runners, Felix Simu (left) and Gabriel Geay, pose during a past event. The duo will miss this year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. PHOTO | COURTESY
Athletics Tanzania (AT) president Rogath Akhwari said the decision not to include the four athletes was influenced by their other international commitments
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will compete at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games without some of its most established distance runners after Alphonce Simbu, Gabriel Geay, Emmanuel Giniki and Magdalena Shauri were left out of the national athletics squad.
The four athletes, who have been among Tanzania’s leading performers on the international stage, will not be part of the team scheduled to depart for Scotland on July 20 ahead of the multi-sport event, which will run from July 23 to August 2.
The absence of Simbu and Geay will be a major blow to Tanzania’s hopes in long-distance events. Simbu won a silver medal in the marathon at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, while Geay has established himself as one of the world’s leading marathon runners.
Athletics Tanzania (AT) president Rogath Akhwari said the decision not to include the four athletes was influenced by their other international commitments.
“Simbu, Geay, Giniki and Shauri have other international assignments, which made it impossible for them to be included in the Commonwealth Games squad,” said Akhwari.
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will feature a reduced program, with organisers focusing on 10 sports across four main venues. Athletics events will be held at Scotstoun Stadium, while road races such as the marathon have been removed from the competition schedule.
With the absence of the experienced runners, Tanzania will rely on a new group of athletes to carry the country’s hopes in Scotland.
In the women’s category, Cecilia Panga will compete in the 5,000m and 10,000m races, while Hamida Nassoro will participate in the 1,500m and 5,000m events. Winfrida Makenji will represent Tanzania in the 100m and 200m sprints.
The men’s team will include Daniel Sinda, who will compete in the one-mile race, Benjamin Fernandi Ratsim, who will take part in the 10,000m, and Josephat Gisemo, who will compete in both the 5,000m and 10,000m events.
The selected athletes are currently attending a residential training camp in Arusha. Despite missing some of its biggest names, Tanzania Athletics believes the Commonwealth Games will provide an important platform for the selected runners to gain international exposure and continue building experience at the highest level.
The Glasgow Games will mark another opportunity for Tanzanian athletes to compete against some of the best performers from Commonwealth nations, with the team aiming to improve on previous performances and strengthen the country’s reputation in athletics.
