Mikia Kalati
Sprint king Mosito Lehata wants nothing but a place in the final at the World Athletics Championship which gets underway in Beijing, China, on Saturday.
Lehata left his Mauritius base on Tuesday and says he has never felt better-prepared.
“I’m always ready and motivated to fly my country’s flag high. One must always be ready for such competitions,” Lehata said.
“I hope to make it to the final and I think it’s possible, but everything is in the hands of God the Almighty.”
Lehata, who slightly missed out on a medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland, highlighted the “hard work” he put into his preparations for the glamour tournament which attracts the world’s best athletes.
“I have no injury worries and I’m going there hoping to make a mark and fight to be counted among the best,” said Lehata.
“I have been taking good care of myself and am in very good condition after competing in a number of International Association of Athletics Federations Diamond League races across Europe in recent months.
“It’s been a good experience running against top athletes and that gave me an idea of what to expect at the World Championship.
“I also participated in the 2013 edition of the championship hosted by Russia, where I reached the semifinals so the goal is to go one place higher this time around.”
The 26-year-old 100 and 200 metre specialist is also expected to take part in next month’s All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo, while he has already booked a place at the Olympic Games set for Brazil next year.
Lehata has been based at a high-performance training centre in Mauritius since 2011 under an Olympic solidarity sponsorship.
