25 January 2010

World 800m Champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi is hoping to captain the Commonwealth Select Team to victory at the forthcoming Aviva Indoor Match being held at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow, on 30th January.

As the defending champions, the Commonwealth Select Team are facing stiff competition from teams from the USA, Sweden, Germany, as well as the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team, who will all be looking to deny the Commonwealth Select consecutive match victories.

An outstanding competitor, Muluadzi won Commonwealth Gold in Manchester in 2002; two years later he won the World indoor title in Budapest and captured the silver medal at the Athens Olympics.

He said: “This is my first time running at the Aviva International Match but I am very excited, especially because I will also captain the Commonwealth Select Team.

"We are the defending champions of the title and I know the team is strong enough to keep the Aviva Cup. Harry (Aikines Aryeetey) will be competitive in the 60m, as will Chandra (Sturrup) in the women’s race and Godfrey (Mokoena) is of course the defending World Indoor champion, so he will be tough to beat in the long jump.

"I like the concept of competing as a team and I’m looking forward to supporting my fellow Commonwealth teammates, especially in the Commonwealth year.  It should be a great meet and I can’t wait to meet my teammates in Glasgow."

Also competing as part of the Commonwealth Select Team are British Pole Vaulter Luke Cutts, Jamaican 400m runner Novlene Williams, who is a former World bronze medallist, Nigerian Triple Jumper Tosin Oke and Bahamian 200m runner Christine Amertil, who was a member of the Bahamian 4x400m relay team who claimed silver in Berlin last year.

Tickets for the Aviva International Match at the Kelvin Hall on Saturday 30 January are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.uka.org.uk