Denzel Ngavi pleased with performance at ASA Comers International Meet

BUDDING runner from Victoria Falls, Denzel Ngavi, put up a spirited performance at the recent ASA Comers International Meet in Pretoria, South Africa where he set new individual time records in the 200m and 400m athletics events.

A Mosi-oa-Tunya High School pupil, Ngavi stole the limelight at the 2024 National Association for Secondary School Heads national competitions held in Victoria Falls in March this year.

On Saturday he participated at the ASA Comers International Meet finishing the 200m race in 22.7 seconds and the 400m race in 48.38 seconds, beating his previous times and moving inches closer to his target of sub 21.50 seconds in the 200m and sub 47.65 seconds in the 400m to qualify for the Peru World Junior Championship Games.

In an interview on his way back to Victoria Falls, Ngavi said he was excited to be making progress.

“I finished in 22.7 seconds and 48.38 seconds in the 200 metres and 400 metres races respectively. I am now closer to qualifying for the Peru World Junior Championship Games. So I need to push a little harder so in the coming weeks I will be competing in the International Electronic trials games to try and hit sub 21.50 seconds in the 200m and sub 47.65 seconds in the 400m for me to qualify,” he said.

The trip was facilitated by his school Mosi-oa-Tunya High, ZB Bank, Dzimbabwe Guest Lodge, Tatenda Safaries, Danmac Investments and some individuals.

Ngavi did his primary school at Baobab Primary in Victoria Falls and went to Gloag High School for lower secondary where he started club races before moving to Mosi-oa-Tunya.

Initially he was a long distance runner until a time when he won gold in Hwange while a pupil at Gloag High.

He is grateful to his coaches Sibako of Mosi-oa-Tunya and Munyaradzi Moyo of Gloag for identifying talent in him.

In Hwange, as a member of an athletics club from Gloag, Ngavi chickened out of some long distances because they were to run together with some seniors and he tried his luck in the 400m race in which he scooped gold and that became his turning point.

He started training in the 200m and 400m races and has been representing Matabeleland North at various competitions.