Simbu skips IAAF world cross-country event
http://maisharaisi.blogspot.com/2017/02/simbu-skips-iaaf-world-cross-country.html
Alphonce Simbu shows off his gold medal after winning the Mumbai Marathon in India last month. The Arusha runner will not compete at the World Cross-country Championships in Uganda next month.
Tanzania’s fast rising marathoner, Alphonce Simbu, has ruled himself out of the forthcoming IAAF World Cross Country planned for Kampala on March 26.
Even as the championships could have provided him with a perfect platform to gauge his progress, the 24-year-old, who won the Mumbai Marathon last month, has opted to solely focus on the money-spinning London Marathon, which will take place on April 23.
“I would have liked to be part of the team heading to Uganda for the world championships, but unfortunately, time isn’t enough for me to focus on the two races,” said the Arusha-based marathoner, who finished fifth at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
“I want to leave my mark at the London Marathon that’s why I want to have ample time of training. I am going to meet the finest runners from across the world, so fans who wanted to see me Kampala, should forgive me. I am determined to win a bigger marathon event,” added the soft-spoken athlete.
“After all, it is not healthy competing in two major athletics races within a month, so let me focus on the April event for now.” Simbu is currently training under coach Andrew Panga of JKT in his home city of Arusha. The Athletics Tanzania (AT) secretary general, Wilhelm Gidabuday, went on record recently saying the country would be represented by 28 runners at the Kampala race, which will draw hundreds of runners from different parts of the world.
Gidabuday, a former runner, disclosed that Team Tanzania will be selected after the National Cross-Country Championship set for Moshi this weekend.
Uganda is the fourth African country to stage the IAAAF World Cross Country event after Morocco, South Africa and Kenya. Morocco hosted the first edition in 1995 followed by South Africa in 1996. South Africa hosted its again in 1998 before the IAAF granted Kenya the hosting rights for the 2007 edition.
