Local athletes fall short of IAAF qualifying standards

ATHLETES FROM APR club may have dominated yesterday’s national inter-club athletics assessment event at Amahoro stadium but that did not spare them the humiliation of failing to meet minimum qualifying time for international championships – just like anyone else who participated. The event was meant to select potential athletes who would represent Rwanda at the Africa senior Championships due in Morocco in August, IAAF World Junior Champions in Eugene, USA in July, and Commonwealth games in Scotland in August. However, in over eight categories in which different athletes participated, none could manage to register the minimum entry standard required for the games. Some athletes came close while others just performed dismally. Now the federation will have to task clubs to upgrade their training techniques ahead of the final testing session in April. The 10000m men’s race was won by APR’s Eric Sebahire after clocking 30.49.47, two minutes and 11 seconds shy of the official International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) entry standard. In 5000m, Godfrey Rutayisire (APR) beat NAS pair of Potien Ntawuyirushintege and Silas Rubayita to the podium after clocking 14.30.31 to win the race. He also came one minute and 31 seconds behind the official entry time. Rutayisire also led a 1-2-3 APR finish in the 1500m men’s final as he clocked 3.53.13 to beat club mates Joseph Nzirorera and Philbert Usabuwera who clocked 3.54.03 and 3.55.79. Jean Baptista Nkurikije beat teammate Musa Bizimana and Marc Ishimwe from VJN to the 400m podium as he clocked 49.91. Bizimana and Ishimwe ran in 50.68 and 52.65 respectively. Timothy Bagire beat Rwamagana’s Marcel Ngabonziza and club mate Emmanuel Ntakiyimana to the 800m final after clocking 1.51.50. Ngabonziza and Ntakiyimana clocked 1.53.09 and 1.53.96 respectively. In the women category, Angellique Nyiransabimana won both the 800m and 1500m finals. She clocked 4.43.56 in 1500m and 2.20.58 in 800m. Vivine Niragire and Sophie Kanakuze won the 10000m and 200m finals. Niragire clocked 39.36.66 in 10000m, while Kanakuze clocked 25.98 to win the 200m women final. APR, Vision Jeunesse Nouvelle, Nyamasheke, Rwamagana, NAS, Mountain classic athletics, New Athletics club and Nyamasheke were represented in the one-day event.

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Local athletes fall short of IAAF qualifying standards