Bulawayo to host Zimbabwe athletics championships

THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has opened registration for the National Open Championships that will take place at White City Stadium on March 30.

Entry fees are pegged at US$2 per event per athlete for cadets, youths and juniors, US$3 per event per athlete for seniors and US$5 per relay team.

Registration will close on March 24.

Events on offer will be the 100m, 100mh, 110mh, 200m, 400m, 400mh, 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 4x100m relay, 4x mixed relay, ZITF Coca-Cola Four-Minute-Mile Challenge, long jump, triple jump, high jump, javelin, shot put and discus.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson Watson Madanyika said the event will be used to select athletes to represent the country at regional and international events coming later in the year.

“We are excited to be hosting an event of this magnitude at the end of the month. The meet is a qualifier for the Africa Senior Championships, World Junior Championship and AUSC Region Five Games. As the hosts, we are already working hard to ensure the event is a success for the administrative side of things,” said Madanyika.

He challenged athletes to confirm their participation early.

“We are calling on athletes to register early to avoid last-minute hassles. We would like to emphasise that there will be no registration done on the day of the competition or after the deadline day,” said Madanyika.

Meanwhile, registration for the PPC Matopos 33 Miler is still in progress.

There is good news for people who paid for the cancelled marathon in 2020 as they are set to get automatic entry for the 2024 race.

The 53km race which is scheduled for April 7 is making a return after a four-year hiatus forced by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisers say online registration for the event is now open and the link can be accessed on the PPC Zimbabwe social media sites.

Registration fees are pegged at US$20 for the 53km event and US$10 for the other categories. —@innocentskizoe