CORONAVIRUS Tuka expresses regret over cancellation of World Championships in China

(Patria) - The World Athletics Indoor Championships, which were supposed to be held from March 13 to 15 in Nanjing, China, have been postponed due to fears of the spread of the coronavirus. The governing body of world athletics has accepted the advice of the World Health Organization and postponed the competition until next year. All offers from other cities have been rejected, and the competition is expected to be held in Nanjing next year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina was also likely to have its representative at the World Indoor Championships, namely the world vice-champion in the 800 meters, Amel Tuka, who commented on the news of the competition's cancellation.

“First and foremost, I feel sorry for the people who found themselves in the epicenter of the disease spreading through China, and then I also feel sorry for the cancellation of such a major competition as the World Indoor Championships. A large number of athletes trained hard for this competition, and their efforts were clearly in vain, and on top of that, it will change the course of preparations for the rest of the season for many. Personally, I don't like preparing for indoor events, and I didn't have great ambitions for the World Championships in China, but I still regret the cancellation because I see indoor races as part of the preparations for the Olympic Games and the entire season,” says Tuka, adding that he planned his first appearance this season at a meeting in Germany on February 3.

“All the races I will have indoors will be like training sessions during this winter period. I want to have a sense of competition and to complement my training during this period. It is known that I am not a fan of indoor events, as they do not suit me at all, but I like to compete and feel that adrenaline, and that is the only thing that attracts me to indoor events. Therefore, I do not expect any top results in this part of the season, given that all the focus is on the second part of the season,” admits Tuka, who, after a month of preparations in Africa, briefly returned to BiH and is already traveling to his first competition on Monday.