See athletic Christmas in Karatu Festival
THE global level long distance runners race are heading to Karatu in Arusha to brighten this year’s Karatu Sports Festival starting here tomorrow all the way to Boxing Day.
Among the notable entries in the 21st edition of Karatu Sports and Cultural Festival is Gabriel Geay who recently shattered the national 42km marathon’s record, Club Games silver medalist, Alphonce Simbu and the lady marathoner, Failuna Abdi Matanga.
The festival coordinator Meta Petro told the Daily News on Thursday that the presence of Geay, who recently won a silver medal in Valencia Marathon in Spain, has added a dimension to the beauty of this year’s festival.
In November this year, Geay clocked the best time of 2 hours, 03 minutes and 00 second that was also his personal best time despite the national record.
Petro named other top class runners heading to Karatu as Emmanuel Giniki and Sarah Ramadhani who represented Tanzania in the Olympic Games of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.
The festival has been bankrolled by Olympic Solidarity through Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) with Filbert Bayi Foundation (FBF) and Meta Sports Agency being its chief organizers .
“It is a multi-sports festival that also includes football, volleyball, traditional dance, gymnastic and performance of various choir ensembles,” he explained.
The festival, according to Petro, offers cash prizes to the best performers of the various sports and cultural competitions.
“The TOC Karatu Festival returns this year, with what seems like a Christmas treat for residents of Arusha, Karatu, Ngorongoro and Mto-wa-Mbu,” according to a statement from the organizers.
The Festival kicks off tomorrow on December 24, 2022 a day before Christmas, featuring a number of sporting events including soccer, volleyball, athletics, bicycle racing and traditional dances as well as choral (singing) competition.
Event organizers revealed that men will run in the 10 km race, women will cover 5km distance while children will compete for 2.5km throne.
According to Petro, football matches have already started at village and ward levels, after which they will move to division level and climax on December 23rd this year.
Bicycle riders will cover 60 kilometers as a cross-country race for both men and women riders.
The main venue for the December Sports Festival remains at Mazingira Bora open grounds at the centre of Karatu.
After the events of December 24, all participants will be treated to a Christmas excursion, on December 25, involving a game drive to Ngorongoro Crater.
Karatu Sports Festival is an annual event that usually attracts many sportsmen and women as well as spectators from various parts of Arusha Region.
In retrospect, the top officials of Tanzania Olympic Committee are expected to visit villages resided by Wahadzable near Lake Eyasi in Karatu district after the end of the festival.
He said the tour aims to scoot talented Wahadzable and incorporate them n sports.
Traditionally, Wahadzable are excellent in archery.
