Online Reporter
Curtworth Masango, Zimpapers Sports Hub
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has called on the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe to take proactive steps if athletics in the country is to grow.
Coe made these remarks at the recently concluded World Relays in Gaborone, an event that marked the first time such a championship was held in Africa.
To spice up the show and leave a lasting impression, Botswana incorporated a piece of a natural diamond mined in the country into the medals.
In this regard, Botswana set a benchmark for how Africa can excel in hosting major events, as the competition proved to be a resounding success.
Zimbabwe was represented in the 4 x 400m relays by the quartet of Dennis Hove, Leeford Zuze, Gerren Muwishi and Thandazani Ndlovu. They set a new national record by running sub-three minutes in both their heat and the final. Their new national record now stands on 2:59:01.
This performance secured their qualification for the Beijing World Championships to be held next year.
“In any continent, there certainly is not a one-size-fits-all approach in World Athletics. We have well over 200 federations from the United States to small islands in the Pacific,” said Coe.
Coe believes political understanding is key for any federation among other important tenets.
“Number one is political understanding that athletics is really important, not just in terms of the medals table, but for health, education, and economic growth.”
“Coaching is really vital. In Zimbabwe, you have as much talent as in Kenya, South Africa, or Uganda. It’s about identifying that talent and creating pathways through world-class coaching,” he said.
Coe said people should think both short term and long term in a bid to catch all talented athletes whilst young.
“Great athletics doesn’t happen overnight, it’s probably a 10-year pathway from the playground to the podium,” he said.
“We apply the same metric to the United States or China. It’s the same evaluation, but some federations have bigger challenges than others,” said Coe.
He added,
“I would encourage every federation to form the best relationship they can with local government, city, region, or national level, and tell the story, not just about elite events, but kids’ athletics.”
“We spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to best help member federations, partly about elite success, but also recognising that some federations won’t deliver big teams at a world championship, yet can still do other things in the sport.”
With Botswana already a pacesetter, Zimbabwe is expected to copy the good work.
Bongani Ndlovu