Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (APA) – Ethiopia on Tuesday bade farewell to its athletes who will take part in the 37 International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) world cross country championship scheduled to be held beginning 28 March in Amman, the Jordanian capital.

The 33 member Ethiopian delegation will leave for Oman on Tuesday evening.

This year’s cross country championship will be held for the first time in the Middle East where over 60 countries and around 700 athletes are expected to attend starting on Saturday.

The head of the Ethiopian athletics team to Jordan Tadele Tola told journalists that the Ethiopian national team, which comprises 24 athletes, is expected to repeat its victory at this year’s cross country championship.

Some of the athletes, Gelete Burka and two-time bronze medallist Meselech Melkamu,Genzebe Dibaba (Tirunesh Dibaba’s youngest sister), Gebregziabher Gebremariam who won two silver medals in the 2004 edition of the championships, Tadesse Tola, seventh in Mombasa two years ago, Feyissa Lelisa, 14th in the junior race last year, and World Indoor 3000m champion Tariku Bekele are among others to represent Ethiopia at the championship.

However, it was reported that Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, who recently won two gold medals each at the Beijing Olympic will not participate in the race due to injury problems.

Their absence from the championship created confusion among the Ethiopian sports fraternity to repeat their performance as in the previous years.

List of Ethiopian athletes

Women’s Junior 6km: Sule Utura, Genzebe Dibaba, Emebet Anteneh, Meseret Mengistu, Tsega Gelaw, Frehiwot Goshu.

Men’s Junior 8km: Ayele Abshiro; Yetwale Kinde; Dejen Gebremeskel; Atalay Yersaw; Debebe Woldesenbet; Legesse Lemiso

Women’s Senior 8km: Wude Ayalew; Meselech Melkamu; Gelete Burka; Koreni Jelila; Sentayehu Ejigu; Mamitu Deska

Men’s Senior 12km: Gebregziabher Gebremariam; Feyissa Lelisa; Tadesse Tola; Tariku Bekele; Hunegnaw Mesfin; Habtamu Fekadu.