Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS he returns to the world stage, triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya believes he is in a better position to give a good account of himself at the World Athletics Championships.
Mapaya is part of the eight-member team to represent the country at this year’s edition of the global meet due to take place from this Saturday to September 21 in Tokyo, Japan. With just four days to go before the meet, Mapaya is oozing with confidence.
“The qualification means the world to me. I am very excited to have made the World Championships,” he said.
“I have put in the work, so definitely it was supposed to happen. So, (I am) very excited and happy to be in this position.
“Preparations have been going well. I have been training hard. I am definitely ready, no niggles, no injuries, thank God for that. So definitely excited for sure.”
It is going to be his third appearance at the global meet having represented the country in 2019 in Doha, Qatar and in 2022 in Oregon, United States.
“So, some of the lessons I am taking going into World Championships; my first World Championships team I made was World Youth, World Juniors but I didn’t go for those ones just because of other situations, disorganisation within the federation.
“The World Championships in Doha, I went there as a fan. I was distracted because I was competing with my role models.
“Then when I went for World Championships in Oregon, 2022, the moment got to me and I just didn’t execute the way I wanted.
“So, going into these World Championships, it’s just me going there to go have fun and really looking on myself and really just execute my thing.”
Mapaya a silver medallist at the Africa Senior Championships held in Douala, Cameroon last year, is not only banking on his experience. But also, the work he put in to earn a spot at this year’s edition of the meet and in his preparations for the competition in Tokyo. In March he was part of the field at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, and he finished seventh in the final with a 16.74m leap.
Mapaya had jumped 16.83m on his way to qualification for the Indoor Championships.
“Just by going for World Indoor Championships and making the final, it just gave me enough confidence to know that I belong at the top. “So definitely going into this competition I am ready, I am excited, I am just hungry, confident, ambitious to do (well) and just go above and beyond.
“I just want to bring a medal back to Zimbabwe. Last time that happened was with Ngoni Makusha which was a while back. So, I want to be that next big thing for sure.
“Expectations are making the final and getting a medal, nothing more, nothing less,” declared Mapaya. Makusha won a bronze medal in long jump at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
The other members of the team are Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba (200m), Vimbayi Maisvorewa (400m), Ashley Miller Kamangirira (400m hurdles), and marathon runners Fortunate Chidzivo, Isaac Mpofu and Tendai Zimuto.
This will be Zimbabwe’s biggest team at the global stage in many years.
“It’s special. This is a special group.
“This is history made, this is the biggest team going to World Championships and hopefully this just shows that athletics is on the rise in Zimbabwe.
“And definitely the goal is to field a big team for Olympics in 2028 for the LA Olympics. “So, it’s exciting times.
“I am just happy there is quite a number of Zimbabweans, you are definitely going to feel at home when you get to the Village.
“It’s just exciting times honestly… Just being part of the group is an honour and a privilege,” Mapaya said.
