Rwandan athletes stand to bag IAAF millions

Prize Money Individual1st – Frw.17.2m2nd – Frw. 8.63rd – Frw.5.7 m4th – Frw. 4.01m5th – Frw. 2.8m6th – Frw. 1.7m

Saturday, March 21, 2009
Felix Ntirenganya.

Prize Money

Individual
1st – Frw.17.2m
2nd – Frw. 8.6
3rd – Frw.5.7 m
4th – Frw. 4.01m
5th – Frw. 2.8m
6th – Frw. 1.7m

Team
1st – Frw. 11.4m
2nd – Frw. 9.1m
3rd – Frw. 6.8m
4th – Frw. 5.7m
5th – Frw. 4.5m
6th – Frw. 2.2m

Rwandan athletes stand to pocket part of the $280,000 (Approx. Frw. 160.7m) up for grabs at the 37th IAAF World Cross Country Championship next Saturday in Amman, Jordan.

Rwanda will be represented by five men and three women at the annual event.

The men’s team comprises of Jean Baptiste Simuceka, Gervais Hakizimana, Eric Sebahire, Felix Ntirenganya and Sylvain Rukundo while the girls’ team includes; 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 fine tunes himself for the Paris Marathon on April 5.

A sum of $280,000 in prize money will be paid by the IAAF for the two senior races in Amman.

A $30,000 prize is available for each individual winner in the men and women senior races.

In the team category, $140,000 is at stake. This is distributed with $20,000 going to the first team in each race, descending to 6th place where the payout is $4000. However, competition for medals in Amman will be as strong and as exciting as ever.

Rwandans should expect stiff challenge from Eritrea and World champion Zersenay Tadese, Qatar’s World 3000m.

Steeplechase champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen and 2009 Kenyan champion Moses Mosop among others.

In the women category, Netherlands’ European champion Hilda Kibet, former World Junior cross country champions Meselech Melkamu of Ethiopia (2004) and Kenya’s Linet Masai (2007) are in top contention.

Ends