TOC unveils team for 2016 Rio Olympics

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) has announced a seven-athlete team that will represent the nation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month.

Out of the seven athletes, three won their inclusion to Team Tanzania via universality tickets, something which speaks volumes over the state of sports in the country.

The last time Tanzania fielded over 30 athletes at the Olympics was in 1980 when runners Suleiman Nyambui (5,000 metres) and Filbert Bayi (3,000 metres steeplechase) grabbed silver medals in Moscow.

Announcing the Team Tanzania squad in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the TOC secretary general, Filbert Bayi expressed his disappointment over the decreasing number of athletes for the Olympic Games, calling for soul–searching after this year’s edition.

“We have seven athletes who will carry the national flag in Rio de Janeiro. It is not the number sports enthusiasts would have liked to represent Tanzania, but we have to rally behind them believing that they can end our medal drought.

“It is imperative that we hold a sincere soul-searching after the games because the on-going trend does not promise glory in the future,” he said.

He named the athletes as Alphonce Felix Simbu, Saidi Juma Makula and Fabiano Joseph Naasi who will compete in the men’s marathon event.

Sara Ramadhan is the only female marathoner who attained the marks and will be in the Olympic-bound team.

Two years ago, Sara was expelled from the Glasgow commonwealth Games after testing positive for banned substances.

She was slapped with a three-year suspension, which expired early this year.

“Sara is eligible to feature in this edition after serving her three-year ban, so we expect that all athletes will observe the dos and don’ts of the Olympic Games. It is our hope that they will also roll up their sleeves and win the nation the respect it has been craving for,” he said.

He disclosed that the athletics team will be under the tutelage of a prominent Tanzanian trainer, Francis John. The silver medal winner also named swimmers who will be heading off to the Brazil’s largest seaside city as Hilal Hemed Hilal and Magdalena Moshi. Both qualified via the universality ticket.

The duo, who competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London with little success, will be hard-pressed to show how they have improved over the past four years. They will be under Alexander Mwaipasi. While boxing, the second most loved sport in the country, failed to produce any representative, Judokas will have Andrew Thomas Mlugu (73kg). He is also going to Brazil via the universality ticket and will under the supervision of coach Zaidi Hamis Omar.

According to Bayi, the Team Tanzania will be under the Chef de Mission, Suleiman Mahmood Jabir and their physician will be Nassoro Matunzya.

Bayi disclosed that the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Nape Nnauye will also accompany the team to Rio de Janeiro. The team will depart on August 2, three days before the tournament gets underway.