admin“We are very much impressed with the development of athletics in our province as evidenced by a high turn out for national competitions. It shows that all stakeholders in the province are committed to developing the athletes.
“After seeing the interest athletics has generated in our region, we decided to celebrate World Athletics Day that is on 19 May by holding a Cadet Track and Field championship. This is a first of its kind in Zimbabwe and we hope a number of Under-15 athletes from the province and beyond will turn up for the event,” said Lisimati.
Matabeleland South has some of the country’s top athletes who include sprinter Dumisani Bhebhe who will be representing Zimbabwe at the Southern Region Youth Championships in Namibia today and long distance runner Nkosiyazi Sibanda.
Bhebhe is a product of Gwanda High School and trains with LM Athletics Academy in Gwanda while Sibanda, a marathon runner is from Blanket Mine.
Sibanda is part of the country’s four long distance runners that ran under two hours 18 minutes which is a ‘B’ qualifying standard at the London Olympics.
Lisimati said they had participants from Matobo, Plumtree, Umzingwane and Gwanda Districts competing at last weekend’s National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe’s Track and Field Championships in Bulawayo.
Matabeleland South athletes are drawn from the following clubs: Shashani Athletics Academy of Kezi, Plumtree Academy, LM Athletics Academy, Blanket Mine, How Mine and Mawabeni which is under former Zimbabwe great Elijah Nkala.
According to the Naaz calendar, the next event that Matabeleland South is going to play host to after the Cadet competition is the provincial track and field that is set for 7 July at Blanket Mine.
“We are going to have a Cadet Race at Phelandaba Stadium next month and we hope to make use of other dates by organising local race which will be open to other provinces. We want to keep our athletes on the track and that is why we are going to have other races outside the Naaz calendar,” Lisimati said.
Online Reporter