Bulawayo athletics praised

Roy Phiri

FORMER Matabeleland North Athletics Board chairman Roy Phiri has praised the Bulawayo athletics leadership and coaches for a sterling job which has seen them produce athletes of note in recent years.

Phiri who headed Matabeleland North back then when it encompassed Bulawayo City, had a very strong team in middle distances and sprints.

Some of the sprinters included Temba Ncube, Gabriel Chikomo, Simangele Ncube, Tatenda Goronga, Caroline Ncube, Ronald Chiwerera and Tawanda Chiwira.

The Watson Madanyika-led the Bulawayo Athletics Board boasts some of the country’s fastest sprinters in Zimbabwe at the moment in Methembe Tshuma whose 10.22 seconds in the 100m is the fastest among locally based runners, as is his 20.26 seconds in the 200m.

Out of action for over two months Tshuma’s 100m effort is 299th in the world while the 200m time ranks the 55th best.
An injury in Ghana at the Senior African Championships denied him an opportunity to continue running this season.

Thandazani Ndhlovu, a record holder of the 300m of 32.06 seconds and part of the 4x400m relay team that set a record and qualified for the 2027 World Championships, is a Bulawayo boy.

Ndhlovu won a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the African Senior Championships in Ghana in May. He has the fastest 400m time of 44.71 seconds.

Another Bulawayo boy, Dennis Hove, was part of the 4x400m relay team that set the national record of 2 minutes 59.01 seconds and qualified for the World Championships set for Beijing, China next year. Hove, a former Hamilton High School pupil, clocked 44.88 seconds in the 400m.

Ndhlovu and Hove’s times are the 40th and 56th fastest times of the year.
While these have shone on African soils, two other Bulawayo boys have raised their hands and declared they should be considered for the 4x400m relay team with decent times.

On paper and according to World Athletics records Ndhlovu and Hove are the fastest Zimbabweans over the distance with Leeford Zuze the third with 44.91 seconds, Alpha Mpofu formerly of Sobukhazi High School in Bulawayo, is the fourth fastest member with 45.32 seconds while in fifth place and worth of a place is Carlton Siwela an ex-Msitheli High boy whose best this season has been 45.53 seconds.

“The results are all in the open for all to see, the boys have done us proud as a city. Their standards are of continental and world class,” said Phiri who also headed the successful Bulawayo Bottlers Athletics Club once home to legends like Grey Mavhera, Mandla Nkosi, Hamu Mavera, Innocent Chimbikidzikayi, Hlalani Ndlovu, Mbuso Ncube, Margaret Mahohoma, Busisiwe Nyoni, Zondiwe Nyoni, Singazi Dube and Fritty Moyo.

Phiri said this could not be achieved without an infrastructure that identifies talent at an early age.
“The National Association of Primary School Headmasters identifies talent, trains it, exposes it at several levels with coaches and officials that are trained by the national athletics body.

“The secondary school competitions come in handy to take that talent to national and international recognition as some represent the country while still at high school. The process is a seamless one, passing onto the next stage, and I have seen Bulawayo excel in that regard over the years. Hats off to the provincial association and schools,” said Phiri.

The veteran administrator said the challenge is now to have decent facilities accessible to athletes all over Bulawayo.
“I have noted over the years the lack of adequate facilities at every athlete’s doorstep. Schools, communities and the corporate sector should join hands and afford the next best athletes a chance to train on good facilities and go far,” said Phiri.
He said sponsorship was also another challenge.

“With the likes of Alpha, Methembe, Thandazani, Hove and Siwela, Bulawayo has proven that it has a strong athletics DNA, what is needed is sponsorship for the athletes to train outside the country, run locally and in the region regularly where there is electronic timing and wind gauges against top athletes. These boys have done well without and if they get backing, many more athletes will be exposed and be groomed for the future,” said Phiri.

Meanwhile, the Bulawayo Athletics Board will play host to a track and field event on Saturday. Teams from all over Zimbabwe are expected to take part with Redcliff Athletics Club, chaired by athletics legend Njere Shumba having confirmed participation already.

Madanyika said preparations were underway for a good event to be used as part of preparations for the Zimbabwe National Youth Games to be hosted by Marondera next month.