5 runners for London meet

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE will field long-distance runners at the forthcoming IAAF World championships after track and field athletes failed to make the cut by the end of the qualification period on Sunday.

The championships are running from August 4 to 13. The national association had pinned their hopes on foreign-based athletes after the home-based athletes failed to make it when Zimbabwe hosted the Southern Region Senior championships in June.

Zimbabwe have five athletes that made it for the marathon and will be represented by Cuthbert Nyasango, Pardon Ndhlovu and Milan Matende in the men’s section while Rutendo Nyahora and Fortunate Chidzivo will compete in the women’s section.

Their race is on August 6 and they are expected to leave on August 1.

While Zimbabwe are doing well in the long-distances with five athletes qualifying for the upcoming championships, it appears the numbers for track and field athletes are continuing to decrease.

Zimbabwe had only one sprinter Tatenda Tsumba (200m) qualifying for the previous edition held in 2015, in Beijing. The other three athletes that qualified for that edition were marathon runners, Nyasango, Gilbert Mutandiro and Cephas Pasipamire while Olivia Chitate got a wild card for the 5 000m event.

“It means we have failed to qualify. We have sent six athletes on scholarships. It means we have to relook at glorifying having athletes in America,” said NAAZ president Tendai Tagara.

“We are not stopping athletes from going to America, but for athletics we must think of home-grown solutions.” Nyasango is the most experienced among the five athletes.