Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
OVER 250 athletes took to the track at the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) National Junior Championships at White City Stadium on Sunday.
Though none of the athletes managed to clock qualifying times for the World Under-20 Athletics Championships in August, Bulawayo Athletics Board chairperson Watson Madanyika is positive the country will have athletes at the event set for Kenya in August.
The World Under-20 Championships will be held in Nairobi from August 17-22, 2021, one week after the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Under the competition’s rules, athletes aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 years on December 31, 2021, will be eligible to compete.
Naaz has already indicated that it’s hoping at least five athletes can qualify by early May for the competition in Kenya.
“We had a highly competitive meet; however, none of the athletes have managed the qualifying times. Some were very close and if they get more competitions they will manage to clock the qualifying times.
“I’m very much impressed because this meet managed to attract athletes from all corners of the country. We had teams from Mashonaland West such as Kutama High School, which is good to see,” said Madanyika.
The event was held under strict Covid-19 protocols with athletes taking part in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1 500m and 5 000m races.
In field events, participants competed in the long jump, triple jump and discus. – @innocentskizoe
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