The Sunday Mail
New national marathon record holder Cuthbert Nyasango feels lack of sponsorship has limited him from striding to his full potential.
Nyasango and his back-room staff believe an Olympic or World Championships gold medal is within their reach.
However, they highlight Nyasango’s talent, which saw him breaking Tendai Chimusasa’s long-standing record in Prague last weekend, is not enough in the absence of meaningful sponsorship.
The 31-year-old runner made history at the Prague Marathon held in Czech Republic last when he clocked 2 hours 9 minutes 52 seconds as he finished third.
The feat saw him shattering a 16-year-old record of 2:10:57 set by the legendary Chimusasa in Hamburg, Germany.
Having broken the national record a lot is expected now of Nyasango, but the athlete highlights that the odds are always stuck against him as he has to compete with “well-sponsored” athletes.
The Zimbabwean marathon flag bearer has soldiered on with limited resources but concedes that he is beginning to feel the heat and has appealed for sponsorship as he gears for next year’s World Championships in China and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“The international runners I compete with are well catered for financially and only concentrate on their job,” said Nyasango. “It is different with my case because I am always running around looking for sponsors before races and this affects my preparations.
