Nyambui blames Govt over athletes` failures

Athletics Tanzania`s secretary general Suleiman Nyambui

Athletics Tanzania’s secretary general Suleiman Nyambui said the poor show of Tanzania’s athletes at international stages is bound to continue.

Nyambui said the reason for the possible lacklustre display is based on Government’s oversight to help AT in taking the game from grassroots level.

Nyambui spilled the beans during the just ended Tanzania Olympic Committee’s annual general assembly held in Zanzibar.

The former long distance runner Nyambui said Tanzania athletes have been performing poorly as a result of shoddy preparations with inadequate support from the Government.

The AT official said Tanzania’s failure to win at least a medal at the New Delhi’s Commonwealth Games last October was highly caused by not only inadequate preparations, but also substandard athletics equipments.

He said it’s high time the Government should throw all efforts into preparations of the athletes earmarked for international events and procure sports gear that matches with the requirements of the game.

Talent scouting is one of the aspects Nyambui insisted to be executed should athletics become one of the good flag bearers at high-profile international stages.

Nyambui was of the opinion that the national athletics team should only make it to international events after effective and adequate preparations. Otherwise, he said, Tanzania should stay far from the events while recapitulating to groom competent athletes.

“If we are not capable to invest heavily and prepare our teams well then there is no use of fielding athletes at international events,” said Nyambui.

The AT official said shoddy team preparations is the basis of the frequent failures as officials and athletes end up being snubbed for no apparent reason.

The outspoken Nyambui deplored the frequent habit of branding athletes who happen to fail at international events as ‘tourists’.

All officials who are appointed in preparation meetings should be well versed with the demands of the games and not to fill numbers just to fit the meetings.

However, it was the same Nyambui who pledged to produce stunning show ahead of boarding a New Delhi-bound flight for the Commonwealth Games.

The athletics team lacked cohesion during the continental championship staged in Nairobi ahead of the Commonwealth Games.