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THE National Season Opener Cross Country Championships which had been tabled for today in Harare has been postponed to next Saturday.
The development means that Bulawayo’s athletes will forgo the event as a similar competition will be held in the city.
Manuel Mpofu, the Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairman confirmed yesterday that the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe-run National Season Opener Cross Country Championships has been cancelled.
He said the stage is set for Bab’s first Cross Country Competition of the year to be held in Nketa on January 19. It would be an open event for both age groups – juniors and seniors.
“Our local athletes will no longer be going to Harare this weekend because the National Season Opener Cross Country Championships have been cancelled. I don’t think the athletes will even go for next week’s race in the capital because we also have a similar competition here.
The Bab Cross Country Competition is our first activity of the year and anyone interested in competing is free to do so,” said Mpofu.
Mpofu said they would use the race as part of a selection process for Team Bulawayo for the forthcoming national competitions.
“We are also going to be selecting athletes to represent the city at the national cross country finals next month. This is a challenge to our local athletes and if they wish to be part of Team Bulawayo, they have to train hard.
“We are anticipating tough competition especially in the juniors’ category as most of the athletes who represented Bulawayo at last year’s Zimbabwe National Youth Games in the city are still available,” said Mpofu.
The Provincial Cross Country event will be held at Luveve High School on February 8.
Selected athletes will represent Bulawayo at the National Cross Country finals on February 15 in Kwekwe.
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