All set for nash athletics meet

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ALL is set for the National Association of Secondary Schools Heads athletics championships starting today at Peterhouse in Marondera. The two-day meet will see athletes competing in cross-country and track and field events. For the cross country event, boys 20-and-Under and 17-and-Under will participate in the 8km race while the girls 20-and-Under, girls 17-and-Under and boys 16-and-Under compete in the 6km race.
The 16-and-Under girls will fight for honours in a 4km race.

National head in charge of athletics, Philip Chikomwe said they are ready to host the competition and will use the meet to select athletes that will represent Zimbabwe at the Cosasa Games set for Botswana in May.

“We are expecting around 1 200 athletes from our 10 provinces and we will also be in a position to pick a team which will participate in the Cosasa Games in Gaborone in May. We are expecting to send 145 athletes to Botswana.

“We will start with the cross-country in the morning then the track and field events until Friday,” said Chikomwe.
Chikomwe said they are looking forward to a competitive and exciting meet as the athletes fight for positions in the team to take part in the Cosasa Games.

“I am expecting a very high level of competition because all provinces are prepared and four have already checked in namely, Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Bulawayo and the hosts Mashonaland East. The rest of the provinces are expected to check in today (yesterday). Last year, we were in Harare and we had almost 1000 athletes so we are expecting an improvement in terms of the numbers and level of competition,” Chikomwe said.

Head in charge of athletics for Harare province, Apinos Chiwara said they are ready for the meet and are hoping for a better show this year after finishing fourth last year.

“It’s very difficult to make predictions but it’s like when everyone goes for a competition they expect to win. So far we do not have anything to complain about.

“I never had a chance to see the other provinces when they were having their provincial competitions but I heard that provinces like Manicaland and Matabeleland South have very competitive athletes but it’s not like we fear them. We are equally good and we are well prepared,” said Chiwara.

Mashonaland East are the defending champions and will be out to defend their title when competition takes off this morning.