Joseph who has participated in two previous Olympic Games was in Dar es Salaam for treatment and was given a seven-day rest while undergoing treatment at the Temeke District Hospital under the Olympic team physician Nassor Matuzya.
Speaking with the ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam a few hours after the Tanzania Olympic Committee announced the Olympic team for the Rio Summer Olympic Games, the marathoner said he hoped to return to normal after treatment, but he has to wait for the doctor’s permission to resume full training.
“I now feel fit and I’m looking forward to resume training with my colleagues at West Kilimanjaro, but this will depend on doctor’s final report on whether I should resume training or continue resting and get medical attention,” said Joseph.
It will be his third Olympic appearance if he goes to Rio de Janeiro this time. But the chance of going there again wholly depends on the condition of his muscles, though there are all signs that he will make a good recovery.
If Joseph fails to make it to Brazil, which will be a big blow to Tanzania Olympic envoys, the number of athletes will be reduced to six, making it once again the smallest delegation similar to that of 2012 London Games.
In another development, the marathoner has commended the Olympic athletic team training camp set in West Kilimanjaro since February this year and is hopeful that the team is going to excel in the Rio games.
He played down campaigns claiming that Tanzania will again come back empty-handed from Rio. “Our camp in West Kilimanjaro was good despite facing a few challenges.
We request the government to give us the necessary support in these final days of our preparations in order to boost our morale,” he said. Speaking on the fear of Zika Virus cases reported in Brazil especially during the Olympic Games, Joseph said personally, he does not fear anything as in sports a competition is a fight. Like war it does not choose a venue or environmental condition.
The Tanzania Olympic team for the Rio Summer Olympic Games comprising seven athletes is made of four marathoners, two swimmers and a Judoka and the athletes are Fabiano Joseph, Said Makula, Alphonce Felix who both had beaten the 2:19.00 mark set for men marathoners and 2:45:99 set for women marathoners.
Sarah Ramadhan is the fourth athlete in the team. Other three who have booked their tickets for the Rio Games on universality merits are swimmers Hilal Hilal and Magdalena Moshi, both to compete in the 50 metre freestyle category and a Judoka Andrew Mlugu.
The Olympic Team is expected to be handed to the government on July 15 for final preparations before leaving to Brazil.
Rio Summer Olympic games are scheduled to take off on August 5 and end on August 21.
The 2016 Summer Olympic programme will features 28 Olympic sports and a total of 41 disciplines and 306 events where more than 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), including from Kosovo and South Sudan for the first time, will take part in this sporting event. Injury threatens Joseph’s Rio bid ARC plots Impreza-Evos showdown
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