Four athletes off to World Champs

Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendayi Tagara is optimistic of improved results at the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

The global show-piece is running until Sunday.

Zimbabwe are fielding four athletes who include US-based sprinter Tapiwa Makarawu and three marathon runners — Isaac Mpofu, Ngonidzashe Ncube and Fortunate Chidzivo.

Mpofu, Ncube and Chidzivo are scheduled to leave for Hungary today.

US-based Makarawu is up for 200m and is already in Hungary.

Chidzivo will be in action on Saturday in the women’s marathon. Ncube and Mpofu will then wrap-up Zimbabwe’s participation with the men’s marathon on Sunday.

The trio of Chidzivo, Mpofu and Ncube have been to the global meet before.

Tagara said they are hoping for an improved outing with the limelight on Mpofu, who did well at the last championships in Eugene, Oregon, United States.

“If we look at this World Championships, Mpofu is a battle hardened athlete in terms of the World Championships . . . He believes that he can do better than 10th position from Oregon.

“If we look at Chidzivo and Ngoni, who both qualified by global ranking, these athletes have been working hard to make sure that they do well in terms of their participation. So we are hopeful of them again.

“Looking at the performance of Makarawu, he is a young man with less than a year in America and he ran a world qualifying standard and if he gets to the semi-final, that’s a great performance for him.

“And if he runs the Olympic qualifying time that will be great. That’s what we are targeting for them. So we are hoping that they will all do better. Ngoni and Chidzivo, are also chasing the Olympic qualifying time,” said Tagara.

Mpofu has already qualified for the Olympics.

Makarawu will be the first in action with the 200m heats scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Team leader Lisimati Phakamile, who is also in Hungary said the rising sprinter is ready for the competition.

“Tapiwa arrived on Friday afternoon and he is ready for the competition. We immediately went onto start preparation or training to acclimatise and adapt to the weather this side. It’s extremely hot during the day and the humidity is very high.

“But I am happy to say that we have been working out on the track and his fitness levels are quite impressive and good. He is ready for the races and he is eager to prove himself amongst the world’s best athletes.

“My current observations on Tapiwa is that he is ready mentally. He is very prepared and his steady . . . I am seeing a very confident and prepared athlete ready for his event.

“Mentally he is quite ready and he is strong. We have been working very hard in the last three days that we have been together to try and get ready for the event,” said Phakamile.