Tanzanian trio triumph at CRDB Marathon in Dar
DAR ES SALAAM: JOSEPH Panga from Tanzania won the men’s half marathon, while his fellow Tanzanians Silia Ginoka and Boayi Maganga excelled in the 10km race in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively, during the CRDB Bank Marathon held in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
Panga completed the race in one hour, three minutes and 22 seconds, beating Kenyan athlete Zakaria Gacugu, who finished in one hour, three minutes and 35 seconds.
After his impressive performance, Joseph Panga expressed his joy in participating in the event, noting that his victory is part of an effort to support heart surgeries for children and treatment for mothers with highrisk pregnancies at CCBRT Hospital.
“As a Tanzanian, I feel immense pride in contributing to the smiles of children and mothers. It is crucial for people to recognise that good health is a right for every child and no mother should lose her life during childbirth. We thank the CRDB Bank Foundation for organising this life-saving mission,” he stated.
The 42 km marathon was dominated by athletes from Kenya. Abraham Kiptum won the men’s category, finishing the race in two hours, thirteen minutes and seven seconds.
In the women’s category, Joyloyce Kemuma claimed victory with a time of two hours, thirtyeight minutes and twenty-two seconds.
The event was attended by high-ranking government officials, including Speaker Tulia Ackson, Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Palamagamba Kabudi and Tanzania Standard (Newspaper) Limited Managing Director, Asha Dachi. Speaker of the National Assembly, Tulia Ackson, praised the CRDB Bank Foundation for uniting communities through sports while also supporting those in need.
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She described the marathon as an act of compassion that positively impacts many lives.
“Our participation in the CRDB Bank Marathon is an act of kindness that brings comfort to children, mothers and their families. It shows that when we come together, we can transform lives,” she remarked.
Minister Kabudi also commended CRDB Bank and the CRDB Bank Foundation for their consistent organisation of the marathon, highlighting that it creates employment and economic opportunities for young people.
“Sports is a sector that can change lives and I genuinely applaud the initiative of awarding generous prizes to the winners. These prizes can serve as startup capital for businesses and help improve the livelihoods of our youth,” he added.
According to CRDB Bank Group CEO Abdulmajid Nsekela, this year’s event attracted more than 16,000 participants and successfully raised 2.0bn/- to support heart surgeries for children, safe deliveries for mothers with high-risk pregnancies and youth empowerment initiatives.
