Four athletes in IAAF world champs

Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE are hoping to, at least, field four athletes at the forthcoming IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China later this month. The World Athletics Championships are set to run from August 20 to 30.

Zimbabwe will be represented by long-distance runners Cuthbert Nyasango, Cephas Pasipamire and Gilbert Mutandiro and sprinter Tatenda Tsumba.

The championships are also serving as a qualifier for the 2016 Olympic Games scheduled for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Nyasango, Pasipamire and Mutandiro will compete in the men’s marathon event, while Tsumba, who is based in the United States, will take part in the track’s 200m event.

Nyasango qualified for the championships last year at the Prague marathon in 2 hours 09.52 minutes, while Mutandiro booked his place at the PetroSA race in South Africa in 2:15.50.

Pasipamire qualified in North Korea when he competed in the Mangyongdae marathon, finishing the race in 2:14.40.65, while Tsumba qualified for the 200m event in a time of 20.46s.

Team Zimbabwe coach Lisimati Phakamile said these are the four athletes that qualified for the world event and will be leaving for China on August 20 since the actual competition starts on August 21.

“Tatenda Tsumba is based in the United States and has been working with his coach in the there. The other three guys have been training here in Zimbabwe.

“Cephas Pasipamire has been working with his team and just came back from the SARPCCO Games in Swaziland.

“Cuthbert and Gilbert are working with Benson Chauke, who is their personal coach. So, in terms of preparations, I would say all the four athletes are in good shape.

“We are leaving on the 20th of August since the events start on the 21st,” said Phakamile.

Phakamile, who is also the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe director of coaching, talent identification and development, said they were working to have at least one female athlete at the event.

“We are actually working on trying to assist one female athlete to make the trip. We hope we will meet the deadline. Deadline is one week before the first event and we still have about two weeks.

“We have Olivia Chitate, who has also been working with her team. She has to make the qualification grade and if she doesn’t, we are hoping the IAAF might give us a slot since we do not have a female athlete in our team and it will be a wildcard.

“We think Chitate is the right candidate,” said Phakamile.

Phakamile said he is confident the four athletes that have qualified will do well in China.