Israel Saria
The International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has at last confirmed that Tanzania marathoners Mseduki Mohamed and Faustine Mussa competed at tournaments sanctioned by the international body to qualify for the London Olympic Games in July.
The Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) secretary general Filbert Bayi said IAAF has communicated in writing to confirm that the duo competed at tournaments held in Poland on March 29 and in German on May 6, respectively to attain results that make them eligible to be included in the Tanzania squad for the Games in London.
This development comes after the runners claimed through Athletics Tanzania (AT) that the tournaments were sanctioned by IAAF and they qualified for the London Olympic Games.
However, TOC hesitated to acknowledge their claims without IAAF written approval.
“As secretary general of TOC I can confirm to have received the approval letter from IAAF that our two marathoners competed at events sanctioned by the international athletics body and qualified for the London Olympic Games”, said Bayi.
This, according to Bayi means the country will have six athletes at the Games, four runners, one boxer and a swimmer.
The two runners will join Zakia Mrisho and Samson Ramadhan who are camping at Filbert Bayi Secondary School in Kibaha, boxer Seleman Kindunda and swimmer Magdalena Moshi who is attending camp in Austria where she is a sports medicine student.
Bayi said the Austria-based swimmer will join the camp soon and leave with the country delegation of 13 people on July 6 or 7 for London where they will camp at Bradford College in Leeds.
He said the delegation will include two athletics coaches, one each from swimming and boxing and other leaders who will include chief de mission.
In another development Bayi said chances are high that another swimmer will represent the country at the Games on solidarity ticket.
He said Tanzania Swimming Association requested the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to consider the country having two swimmers, a boy and a girl at the event.’
“We are waiting up to the end of the month to see whether the TSA application to have two swimmers at the Games on Olympic solidarity ticket would materialize”, said Bayi.
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