ALL is set for Tanzania runners– Felix Simbu and Failuna Matanga to commence residential training at the High Altitude Training Center (HATC) in Kenya, ahead of 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
Athletics Tanzania (AT), Information and Communication Officer, Tulo Chambo said that Simbu and Matanga will train at Iten’s HATC camp to keep shape for the quadrennial Games.
Simbu and Matanga are currently the only Tanzanian athletes, who have met the Olympic Games qualification standards, ahead of the Tokyo Games, scheduled for July 24th to August 9th, At least 11,091 athletes from 206 nations are expected to compete in different sports discipline.
And the two runners have confirmed their participation in the Iten camp, which has been arranged by AT. AT has paid 2,852 Euros to HATC, so as to facilitate the duos residential training and accommodation.
Apart from high intensive training the camp also offers other services including gym, sauna, swimming and massage for the runners.
However, Chambo said that Simbu has left the country for Japan alongside his trainer Francis John, where he is expected to compete in a marathon this weekend.
Simbu took part at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the men’s marathon and finished fifth with a time of 2:11.15 Tulo said that the camp in Kenya will also involve other runners, who will compete in qualification events for Tokyo Games, as they believe that there is still time for those who are looking for qualifications to do so.
Among the Tanzanian runners who are expected to compete in the qualification events is Augustino Sulle. Sulle is the holder of national marathon record, after breaking the record set by famous retired marathon runner Juma Ikangaa of 2:08:00, after clocking 2:07:00 running time at the Toronto Waterfront marathon February last year.
Ikangaa’s record had stayed for over 20 years. Sulle is looking forward to give all and pull his experience from the store to earn qualification to Tokyo Games.
The Tokyo 2020 Games going with the motto “United by Emotion” will feature 339 events in 33 different sports, encompassing 50 disciplines.
Alongside the five new sports that will be introduced in Tokyo, there will be fifteen new events within existing sports, including 3×3 basketball, freestyle BMX and Madison cycling, and new mixed events in several
