Coach optimistic of runners’ good performance in Australia

Dar es Salaam.Tanzania’s national athletics team head coach, Dennis Malle, is optimistic that four runners set to compete in the World Cross Country Championship in Australia this weekend will do their best. The event is scheduled to take place on February 18 in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.

Tanzania will field four runners namely Inyasi Sulle, Fabian Nelson, Mathayo Sumbi and Josephat Joshua who will compete in the 10km race.

They are currently in intensive training in Dar es Salaam and expect to leave tomorrow to Australia ahead of the competition.

Speaking with The Citizen, Malle said the runners are ready for the tough event.

“I have prepared the runners purposely to do the best in the competition. Good enough, all are in top morale and ready to represent well in the competition,” said Malle.

He said the runners have been selected after meeting the qualification standards and the criteria of AT’s technical committee in cooperation of the head coach.

Meanwhile, AT’s Vice chairman, William Kallaghe said that they did not include women runners in the national team because they did not meet their criteria.

“We cannot send the runners, who do not meet our criteria. We normally focus on competitive ones, who, we believe, will do their best to promote our country abroad,” said Kallaghe,

In last year’s edition, African countries namely Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Morocco dominated the event by winning top four positions.

Kenyan stars, Joshua Cheptegei, who spent 31:40 minutes and Hellen Obiri, who spent 36:14 minutes, won the 10 kilometre event for both men and women.

Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda who spent 31:44 minutes and Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya who spent 31:55 minutes held the second and third positions for men while Dera Dida of Ethiopia, who spent 36:16 minutes and Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, who spent 36:24 minutes, held the second and third positions for women.

For the ‘junior’ boys, Ethiopian Milkesa Mengesha came out on top.