The national team to this year’s World Cross Country Championship has started intensive training ahead of the event set for March 28 in Amman, Jordan.

The local athletics federation Secretary General Apollinaire Munyangoga said yesterday that eight-man team is having non-residential daily trainings at Nyarutarama and Rebero until they depart for Amman on March 26.

Lack of enough funds forced the federation to slash down the number of athletes from ten to eight while the team will not have residential training.

The team of eight includes five boys and three girls and both will compete in the senior categories against the world’s best.

The boys’ team comprises Jean Baptista Simuceka, Gervais Hakizimana, Eric Sebahire, Felix Ntirenganya (Pic above)  and Sylvain Rukundo and the girls include; Adeline Musabyeyezu, Jean d’Arc Mukakigeri and Claudette Mukasakindi.

The notable absentee from the team is Dieudonne Disi, who requested not to be considered for the world event as he is also engaged in final preparations ahead of the Paris Marathon set for April 5.

Disi, 28 clocked 37:31:60 to come ahead of Jean Baptista Simuceka, who used 37:32:86 to finish in second position. Gervais Hakizimana finished third in 37:41:82 in the trials held a fortnight ago.

Claudette Mukasakindi won the women 8km category after clocking 27:19:40 beating her more experienced rival Epiphanie Nyirabarame into second in 28:37:15. Genesse Nyirahabimana clocked 38:45:96 to finish third.

Ends