Middle-Distance runner Sharon Taengwa finished a credible second in the São Silvestre New Year's Eve 15km Road Race in Luanda, Angola.
Kenya's Grace Monany beat the Zimbabwean athlete to the gold medal in the women's category of the race. Taengwa arrived in Luanda on Monday afternoon just a few hours before the race, which started at around 5pm on the same day with over 800 athletes from Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, Portugal and Angola taking part.
Kenya's Eliajah Nyabuti won the men's race ahead of Tony Wamulwa of Zambia and Angola's João Ntyamba. Reports from Luanda yesterday indicated that Samukeliso Moyo, the only other Zimbabwean to participate in the 52nd edition of the road race, did not make it into the top three.
Moyo is a three-time winner of the event and had paid her own way to Luanda while Taengwa flew from Kenya where she had been training.Wirimai Juwawo, who was supposed to represent Zimbabwe in the men's section, failed to travel to Luanda after the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe botched his travel arrangements.The organisers of the race in Angola had complimentary tickets for two athletes -- Juwawo and Taengwa -- and the third one for Titus Madzingo, who was supposed to travel to Luanda as their team manager.
But the pair of Madzingo and Juwawo ended up being stranded in Harare when they could not access their air tickets from Angolan Airlines' offices. Had NAAZ tried to get the ticket for Juwawo before Christmas, the athlete might have taken part. In the 2006 edition, Kudakwashe Shoko also failed to travel for the same event because NAAZ left it until too late to finalise the travelling arrangements.
Kenya's Grace Monany beat the Zimbabwean athlete to the gold medal in the women's category of the race. Taengwa arrived in Luanda on Monday afternoon just a few hours before the race, which started at around 5pm on the same day with over 800 athletes from Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, Portugal and Angola taking part.
Kenya's Eliajah Nyabuti won the men's race ahead of Tony Wamulwa of Zambia and Angola's João Ntyamba. Reports from Luanda yesterday indicated that Samukeliso Moyo, the only other Zimbabwean to participate in the 52nd edition of the road race, did not make it into the top three.
Moyo is a three-time winner of the event and had paid her own way to Luanda while Taengwa flew from Kenya where she had been training.Wirimai Juwawo, who was supposed to represent Zimbabwe in the men's section, failed to travel to Luanda after the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe botched his travel arrangements.The organisers of the race in Angola had complimentary tickets for two athletes -- Juwawo and Taengwa -- and the third one for Titus Madzingo, who was supposed to travel to Luanda as their team manager.
But the pair of Madzingo and Juwawo ended up being stranded in Harare when they could not access their air tickets from Angolan Airlines' offices. Had NAAZ tried to get the ticket for Juwawo before Christmas, the athlete might have taken part. In the 2006 edition, Kudakwashe Shoko also failed to travel for the same event because NAAZ left it until too late to finalise the travelling arrangements.
No comments:
Post a Comment