Bulawayo athletics team high in confidence

BULAWAYO Province’s team is heading to the National Association of Secondary School Heads Track and Field Inter-Provincial Championship in Victoria Falls with confidence.

The championships start on Wednesday.

Baker’s Inn are sponsoring the team, having provided meals from inter-schools to the provincial finals and promised to support the team throughout the national championships.

The team will also be given accommodation and fuel aid, and Baker’s Inn will also take the athletes to see the Victoria Falls to support the country’s sports tourism thrust.

The provincial team’s athletes and coaches looked smart in their black and white tracksuits and t-shirts provided by the leading bakery and confectionery chain at a send-off ceremony at Townsend High School where the team has been camped for the past week.

Speaking at the ceremony, Baker’s Inn general manager, Amos Phiri, said he was confident that the team would do well.

He said their association was just the beginning of many things to come the schools’ way, with a promise to support the province’s ball games next term.

“We are gathered here to send off a great team of champions selected from all angles of our Metropolitan Province of Bulawayo, who without doubt are going to represent us well with a great display of Ubuntu Bethu.

“We have been part of the journey from inter-house, inter-schools and inter-district competitions and now we are going to the inter-provincials,” said Phiri.

Baker’s Inn’s support has given both heads and athletes reason to believe that Bulawayo, who were among the bottom three performers last year in Marondera, will get it right this year.

“Accommodation for our athletes and officials is ready for them in Victoria Falls and unlike in the past where athletes would sleep on the floor, this time around they will be sleeping on comfortable beds,” said Phiri.

Nash provincial boss Bhekumuzi Dube of Mzilikazi High School thanked the sponsors for their gesture.

He said the team would be spending two nights in Victoria Falls before the event to allow them to acclimatise.

Dube spoke strongly against drug and substance abuse, which the girls’ captain Esnat Ndlovu also emphasised on.

“Parents and kids, drugs kill, once you start, it’s hard to stop, let’s desist from drugs,” said Dube.

Ndlovu said they would not turn to performance enhancers in Victoria Falls.

“We pledge to do our best. We promise not to be involved in drugs to enhance our performances,” said Ndlovu.

Thabani Sibanda, the deputy provincial education director, also spoke of discipline in his address.

“A winner is not just a highly competitive person, but one who is disciplined and focused. So I urge you athletes to go out there and fly the Bulawayo Province flag high, but doing well in competition as well as in behaviour. You are the ambassadors,” said Sibanda.

A team for the regional Southern Africa Games is expected to be selected at the event.