RWANDA will not field athletes in the 13th World Indoor Championships set for March 12-14 in Doha, Qatar.

The local athletics federation (RAF) Secretary General Jack Ngabonziza told Times Sport Saturday that lack of funds has forced the federation to pull out of the championship.

"We have several competitions this year and due to lack of funds from our potential sponsor, Sports Ministry, our priority is the Poland World Cross Country Championship,” Ngabonziza said.

In last year’s edition held in Valencia, Spain, Rwanda’s sole participant Sylvain Rukundo failed to qualify for the final of the 3000m.

Rukundo finished tenth in the second heat after clocking 8:02:49, his season’s best time.

Meanwhile, 150 countries have entered athletes to compete at the Aspire Dome this week which will surpass Valencia 2008 where 147 countries participated in the event.

A total of 1,134 athletes and officials are also expected to attend what will be the IAAF’s most important event of the 2010 World Athletics Series. 374 male athletes, 283 female athletes and 477 officials have indeed been entered following the 1st of March deadline for Final Entries.

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