Athletics South Africa (ASA) has called for greater team effort from the members of the South African Cross Country team to the world champs in Mombassa, in Kenya. The team leaves for Kenya on 22 March.
It will take a super fit, highly talented and very experienced athlete to try and steal a show on the Kenyans on their home ground.
ASA has stuck with its policy of building athletes for the future, and selected a very young and large team, but one that has bundles of talent.
The first six runners across the line per country count towards the team event. The times of each athlete are added up and the lowest score wins, and Prize Money for the teams goes down to 6th place.
The junior girls team will have their work cut out for them against their more illustrious and experienced opponents from Africa, but if they keep a cool head, they can come home with a good performance in the team event.
The team of Praxedis Dim, Aleta Phiri, Selina Mofokeng, Helen Phenyane and Jane Tuge finished second in the team event at the recent Southern Region Cross Country Championships in the Junior Category.
Cross Country is so vital to the development of the middle and long distance runners, that it is important for South Africa to send teams to the World Championships, irrespective of how much of a chance they have to medal.
It is the experience that they bring back that will count for the future, and the Junior Girls Team has oodles of talent. This experience will only make them stronger and better athletes.
66 IAAF Member Federations have confirmed their participation at the World Championships, which take place in Mombassa, Kenya, on 24 March 2007.
The number of entries represents an increase of seven more countries than had participated at the previous edition of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, held in Fukuoka, Japan, in April 2006.
Women included in the final SA team are as follows:-
Senior Women:
Violet Raseboya (Central Gauteng)
Junior Girls:
Praxedis Dim (Central Gauteng), Aleta Phiri (Central North West), Selina Mofokeng (Vaal Triangle), Helen Phenyane (Limpopo), Jane Tuge (Central North West).
Team Management:
Nandi Mokhele (Team Manager), Godfrey Hammers (Team Manager), Michael Seme (Coach), DB Prinsloo (Coach), Lindy Mahlangu (Physiotherapist), Lizette Breytenbach (Physiotherapist)
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