ATHLETICS Tanzania (AT) has announced plans to give newly crowned World Athletics champion Alphonce Felix Simbu a hero’s welcome at Julius Nyerere International Airport next Tuesday.

Simbu (pictured) made history on Monday by becoming the first Tanzanian athlete to win a global title after clinching gold in the men’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

AT acting secretary general, John Manyama Junior, and the association’s vice president, Jackson Ndaweka, said Simbu’s achievement had brought immense pride to the nation.

Manyama noted that Simbu’s victory reflects the positive impact of the federation’s new leadership.

“We are very proud of Simbu. He has raised Tanzania’s flag high, and this is a sign of good things to come under our new leadership. We have been in office for only a few months, but we already have a world champion. For this reason, we want to give him a hearty welcome that will inspire others to work even harder,” said Manyama.

Ndaweka added that AT is working closely with the government, through the National Sports  Council  (NSC), and Simbu’s employer, the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF), to organize a fitting reception. 

He also urged athletics stakeholders and the general public to turn up at the airport to welcome the champion.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan was among the first to congratulate Simbu, praising him for making the nation proud.

Legendary Tanzanian runner Filbert Bayi also lauded Simbu’s achievement and advised him to now set his sights on Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals.

“Winning gold at a major event like the World Championships is no small feat. Simbu truly deserved it as one of the country’s hardest-working athletes. His next focus should be on Olympic and Commonwealth Games medals,” Bayi said.

Simbu was part of Tanzania’s marathon team in Tokyo alongside Josephat Gesemo, with coach Dennis Malle and AT President Rogath John forming part of the delegation.

Simbu clocked 2:09:48 to secure victory, with World Athletics noting that he did so in dramatic fashion, recording the smallest winning margin ever in a global championships marathon — outsprinting Germany’s Amanal Petros in the closing stages to win by just 0.03 seconds.