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Ellina Mhlanga, Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Harare Athletic Board yesterday held their Track and Field Championships at the University of Zimbabwe with an encouraging turnout as athletes took advantage of the meet to assess progress ahead of the forthcoming season.
Competition for the new season takes off in the first week of January 2025.
HAB organised the event as part of their build-up to the new season and, as the athletes are just coming from the off-season, events that were on offer included 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m, 1000m, 3000m, relays, long jump, high jump, shot put and javelin.
Some of the coaches and athletes that attended yesterday’s event said the competition presented them with a platform to measure the progress they have made with their training programmes as the competition season draws closer. Sprints and hurdles coach McGregor Manuwa from Mashonaland West underscored the importance of the meet as part pre-season training.
“It has been a unique initiative from HAB to arrange such a meet like this, coming from an off-season, the athletes are blank, and they don’t know where they are, where they want to be, their endeavours and everything else. “So, this is one meet that is going to assist us as coaches to upgrade the athletes.
“With such a meet like this after an athlete runs 150m, or a 300m race, you won’t have much force or drive to ask an athlete to come for practice because it kind of gives intrinsic feedback, to say I am not at all fit, that I must work, I must grind hard although it’s a little bit late for some clubs or coaches that have not yet started pre-season.
“But it kind of alerts every athlete that time is far spent and that the season is fast approaching,” said Manuwa.
Junior athlete, Brenda Njodzi, who competed in the 3000m and 300m said with the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games and the Under-18/Under-20 African Championships scheduled for next year, she still has work to do.
“Next year there is a lot of competition.
“We have the Region 5 Games and the Africa Junior Championships. So, this helps us to be ready for the season because we would want to run qualifying times for those events. “So far, I have been making progress in terms of my preparation . . . Today the 3000m event was tough for me but when I went for 300m it was okay.
“I feel like I still need some time to gain form,” said Njodzi from Amen Academy.
Yadah Athletics Club coach Mavhuto Tumba said he was using the event to assess his athletes as most of his athletes took part.
“This event I am assessing athletes in terms of speed endurance because that’s exactly where we are. We are about to finish the speed endurance sessions so that we can jump into speed work.
“So, I was just assessing how strong they are in terms of endurance before we get into pure speed. So, it’s a good platform for the athletes…So, it’s a very important platform, we need it. It shows where we are, and if we are in the right direction.”
The event featured cadets, youths, juniors, and seniors from various clubs including from provinces such as Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, and Matabeleland North.
Online Reporter