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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
LOCALLY-based athletes eager to qualify for the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games began a two-week training camp in Vumba on Wednesday morning.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) director of coaching, talent identification and development Lisimati Phakamile said the group of athletes was settling in well in the Eastern Highlands.
“We have 10 athletes in camp and they held their first training session this morning. Since there are not going to be any races this year, all focus will now be on training.
“We hope this camp will help boost their performances and the terrain in Vumba should help them with endurance and power. The camp will take 14 days and we hope to archive a lot in this period,” said Phakamile.
Cephas Pasipamire and Collin Makaza, are the two coaches leading the camp, with the assistance of Phakamile.
Naaz is hoping marathon runners can qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, while qualifying competitions for track and field, and race walk events opened in September. Other marathon runners expected to make the qualifying times are South Africa-based Rutendo Nyahora, Ethel Sibanda, Munyaradzi Jari as well as the pair of Isaac Mpofu and Ngonidzashe Ncube.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that athletes will need to provide a negative Covid-19 test taken less than 72 hours before arriving in Japan for the Olympics and will be tested “every 96-120 hours” during the Games, according to a report published by organisers yesterday.
During talks between the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, the Japanese government and Tokyo Metropolitan Government, further guidelines for how the Japanese capital plans to host the rearranged Games next year were discussed.
Current visitors to Japan need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, but athletes and other key stakeholders arriving for the Games will be exempt from those restrictions.
More than 15 000 athletes are expected in Tokyo for the Olympics, which begin on July 23, with the majority staying at the purpose-built Athletes’ Village.
The report detailed that a testing centre would be set up in the village for in-competition testing.
Organisers will also be encouraging athletes to spend less time in Tokyo than they usually would. “We want to be considerate to the athletes, so the village doesn’t get too dense,” Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters after the talks.
“After the Games are finished, we want the athletes to go back home as early as possible.”
Reports in the Japanese media earlier claimed that “large-scale” numbers of overseas visitors will be allowed into Tokyo for the Games. – @innocentskizoe-Reuters
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