9 Ethiopians to compete in 15th IAAF World Indoor Games

ADDIS ABABA

Nine Ethiopian athletes will participate in the 15th World Indoor Games, due to be held by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) from March 7 to 9.

"We've decided to field elite athletes; we want to win and shine," Teshome Negatu, communications and marketing director at the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

Negatu said the athletes would compete in the 800-, 1500- and 3000-meter race categories.

"Female athletes will only compete in the 1500-meter and 3000-meter races," he added.

Negatu noted that renowned Ethiopian athletes, including Mohamed Aman and Genzebe Dibaba, would take part in the competition.

"Mohamed will take part in the 800-meter men's race and Genzebe will participate in the 3000-meter women's race," he added.

Mohamed won the 800-meter race category at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow. He also won consecutive 800-meter titles at the 2009 and 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships.

Genzebe, for her part, is an Ethiopian middle- and long-distance runner, who currently holds three world records.

She is the sister of three-time Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver-medalist Ejegayehu Dibaba. She is also a cousin of former Olympic athlete Derartu Tulu.

The athletes are due to leave Ethiopia for Poland on March 3 to take part in the games.

englishnews@aa.com.tr