BAB grateful to sponsors

THE Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) has extended its gratitude to their sponsors following the successful hosting of the 2024 Coca-Cola Four Minute Mile Challenge on Saturday afternoon.

The annual mile event final was held at its traditional venue, the ZITF Conference Centre main arena on the last day of the Fair.

It was yet another successful event which put a smile on the BAB leadership.

Chairperson Watson Madanyika said they are grateful to Coca-Cola for their continued support.

Coca-Cola has been BAB’s all weather friend and Madanyika pleaded to other companies to also follow suit.

“On behalf of Bulawayo Athletics Board executive members, coaches, athletes and on my own behalf I would like to convey our sincere gratitude to the Coca-Cola Company that has been relentlessly sponsoring this event for more than four decades.

“Social responsibility has been part of their corporate agenda. I would like to congratulate the athletes here present for making it into the final. This event helps to groom and nature athletes who might compete at international level in the near future.

“I am challenging other companies to follow suit. I would to like to congratulate Today’s winners, however I deem everyone who has participated to be a winner in their own right considering the bravery and the fighting spirit they exhibited from the trials to the final,” said Madanyika.

He added that one of the local athletes has qualified for the upcoming summer Olympics that will be held in Paris.

“As I speak one of our athletes from this beautiful city of Kings and Queens Province qualified for the Paris Summer Olympics that will be held in France in August this year and it is events such as this one that makes our athletes to have more completion times and as a result they gain the much needed speed endurance during competitions,” said Madanyika.

This was in reference to Isaac Mpofu who has qualified to run the marathon.

Athletes drawn from various clubs throughout the country were competing.

Black Rhinos middle distance runner Wellington Varevi emerged as the winner of the competition once again.

He might have failed to cross the finishing line in under four minutes but he beat 19 other athletes to win the event.

To emerge victorious, Varevi crossed the line in a time of 4 minutes 21,38 seconds.

His closest challenger Kenyan national John Muinde clocked 4 minutes 26,15 seconds.

In third place was Andrew Ndlovu of Blanket Mine who crossed the finishing line in 4 minutes 27,56 seconds.

The winner of the annual race Varevi has bagged the winner’s medal for three consecutive years.

For Saturday tireless efforts, Varevi went home with US$800 while Muinde pocketed US$400.

Ndlovu got US$350 as prize money.

-@innocentskizoe