Judoka to launch Tanzania’s Olympic medal hunt in Paris Olympic Games

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian judoka Andrew Mlugu will next Monday lead Team Tanzania’s campaign for hunting medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Mlugu, who is under the training of Innocent Mallya, will compete in the 73-kilogramme (super middleweight) division.

Speaking to The Citizen from Paris yesterday, Mallya stated that Mlugu is in good shape and ready for the competition. 

“Mlugu has trained for long, preparing for this multi-sport event. We do not yet know who his opponent will be as the draw is yet to be conducted,” said Mallya.

He added that the climate is not a problem for Mlugu, who has been living in Paris for a couple of months.

“The climate here is hotter compared to Dar es Salaam. However, Mlugu has been training here for over six months, thanks to a scholarship from the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He is familiar with the climate,” Mallya explained. After Mlugu, it will be the turn of another Tanzanian, swimmer Collins Saliboko, who will compete in the 100 meters freestyle in the men’s category on July 30. Another swimmer, Sophia Latiff, will compete in the 50 meters freestyle on August 3.

Runners Magdalena Shauri and Jakline Sakilu will compete in the women’s marathon, while Alphonce Simbu and Gabriel Geay in the men’s marathon on August 11. The runners, currently in residential camp in Arusha, are expected to leave for Paris on August 7.

Records show that Tanzania began competing in the Olympics in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan, with four runners.

In the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico City, Tanzania was represented by four sportsmen. The 1972 Munich Olympics saw Tanzania being represented by 15 sportsmen.

The country missed the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, but sent 41 athletes to the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, where Filbert Bayi and Suleiman Nyambui won silver medals.

It has now been 44 years since Tanzania last won medals at the Olympics.

Tanzania also sent 18 athletes to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, ten to the 1988 Olympics in South Korea, and nine to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Other Olympic Games in which Tanzania featured with the number of competitors into brackets include: Atlanta 1996 (seven sportsmen), Sydney 2000 (four), Athens 2004 (eight), Beijing 2008 (eight), London 2012 (six), and Rio de Janeiro 2016 (seven sportsmen).

However, not all athletes met the qualifying marks, as many competed on a ‘universality places’ basis.