daniel chigunwe
Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
AS the countdown to the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Senior Championships continue, team Zimbabwe members Ngoni Makusha and Gerren Muwishi are confident they will rise to the occasion.
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe announced a seven-member team on Tuesday to represent the country in Douala, Cameroon from June 21 to 26.
The team is made up of Makusha, Muwishi, Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Ashley Kamangirira, Donald Chiyangwa, Dennis Hove and Chengetayi Mapaya.
This year’s competition is part of the qualifying events for the Olympic Games.
Muwishi, Makusha and Kamangirira were part of Team Zimbabwe for the African Games held in Accra, Ghana in March.
Kamangirira won a bronze medal in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Muwishi said the continental meet is critical in his pursuit for Olympics qualification.
“Qualification at the Senior Championships is pivotal. The qualification deadline is fast approaching and there obviously aren’t a lot of races left to help with qualification.
“So the Championships are an opportunity for a final push towards being at the biggest sporting spectacle in the world this year.”
Muwishi is set to compete in the 400m and is part of the relays. The qualifying window for athletics closes on June 30.
He says he is alive to the fact that the competition in Cameroon will be the last chance to try and qualify for Paris but is not under pressure.
“Not in the least. Personally I think that mentally I can handle pressure at the big stage. So it’s obviously just about going into the championship with the correct mindset and giving my best effort.
“God and my training should do the rest
“The target coming into this year was obviously the African Games in Ghana and my performance there hinted at what I needed to fix to be in contention for qualification. “So the plan in Cameroon is to execute and if the conditions and everything allow, we should be able to make the cut.
“Preparations have been going well. The body is fit and we are ready to go. It’s been a long season, so we are race ready. We are ready to go and give our best.
“There have been some crazy fast times this year. Athletics in Zimbabwe is on the rise. So to be considered in the relay is a great honour.
“We obviously have guys that did well in the 4x100m at the last edition of the games, so the 4x400m is looking to emulate that performance and the fight for a podium finish.
“We have a strong team complimented by guys from the USA. So we are definitely excited to see the chemistry and how we will work towards trying to get a medal for the nation in the relays,” said Muwishi.
Makusha, who is in France, is excited to be part of the athletes going to Cameroon.
He shifted his training base to France in April and believes it has given him what he needed in terms of training and competition.
“It definitely has. I have been competing in high level competitions and getting the proper preparation that I need.
“This is a very important competition for me as it is a last shot for qualifying, for the Olympics in my individual event as well as a relay team. So I am happy that I have been given the opportunity.
“Yes, I have the belief that it is possible. No matter how much of an uphill task it may seem, I have to keep believing,” Makusha said.
He was part of the 4x100m relay team that won a bronze medal at the previous edition of the African Championships in Mauritius.
With just a week to go before the championships begin in Cameroon, Makusha expressed confidence in his teammates.
“I think we have a strong group of athletes and we should be able to get a few medals for the country at this year’s edition.”
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