adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ALL is set for the National Association of Secondary Schools Heads cross-country, track and field championships to be held at Dzivaresekwa 2 High and Eaglesvale School today and tomorrow, respectively, in preparation for the Inter-provincial meet.
The cross-country event set for today will see 126 athletes drawn from Harare’s seven school districts — Glenview/Mufakose, Mabvuku/Tafara, High Glen, Northern/Central, Warren Park/Mabelreign, Mbare/Hatfield and Chitungwiza — competing in the 4km, 6km and 8km races.
The competition will be followed by the track and field championships tomorrow at Eaglesvale.
Both events will be used to select a team that will represent Harare at the inter-provincials pencilled for March 20 and 21 at Peterhouse in Marondera.
Nash head in charge of athletics in Harare, Apinos Chiwara, said the athletes will be grouped into three categories.
“It’s like we are no longer talking of under in terms of age-group. We now have categories and we are looking at those born in 1998 in category one and the second category is for those born in 1997. In the third category, we have those born in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
“We are expecting seven districts and it will be 120 athletes per each district for the track and field event. For cross-country it will be 18 athletes per district,” said Chiwara.
Eaglesvale sports director, Cyprian Mandenge, said they are looking forward to a tough competition as the young athletes fight for places in the provincial team.
“This is a provincial meet, it’s the inter-district. We have seven districts and all the seven districts in Harare will be coming to Eaglesvale on Friday for a track and field event.
“Schools in the districts had their own meetings to select their teams and those selected are the ones coming, meeting now to select a provincial team for Harare that will go for the Inter-provincials on March 20 and 21.
“Obviously it will be stiff competition because everyone wants to enter into the provincial team.
I understand the districts have been training hard and the district I come from they have been working hard.
We have guys who have been competing with each other for a few years now and they know each other,” said Mandenge.
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