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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
MIDLANDS Province’s long distance runner Enlitha Ncube won the first athletics gold medal at the 11th edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games after winning the 5 000m race.
Ncube clocked 17 minutes 51.35 seconds to give Midlands a head start at the games’ home of athletics, the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo.
Bertha Chikanga of Mashonaland East settled for silver after completing the race in 18 minutes 02,34 seconds while her teammate Anna Bungu who crossed the line in 18 minutes 11.69 seconds won bronze.
It turned out to be a good day for Mashonaland East’s athletics team as Blessing Jameson won the men’s category of the 5 000m event in 15 minutes 43,51 seconds with his teammate Shylock Chitamba claiming silver following his 15 minutes 47.81 seconds run.
Richmond Tonorwa of Manicaland settled for bronze. He completed the race in 15 minutes 49,49 seconds.
Manicaland also bagged gold when Samantha Maruma won the women’s 400m hurdles race in one minute 07,14 seconds with Harare’s
Primrose Zimunhu getting silver while Sarah Phiri of Mashonaland West was the second runner-ups and got a bronze medal.
The host province, Bulawayo got their first medals from an experienced Yvonne Vanhuvaone and budding star Sharon Mtinsi who came first and second respectively in the women’s 400m final.
Vanhuvaone crossed the line in 57,55 seconds with Mtinsi coming home in 58,61 seconds while bronze medalist Memory Sithole of Masvingo finished the race in 58,96 seconds.
In field events, Matabeleland South got two gold medals after Perceiver Ncube won women’s javelin and the other came from the men’s triple jump won by Bhekisisa Tshuma.
Meanwhile, at Stanley Square in Makokoba all the boxing quarter-finals were played with the technical director Petros Masiyambumbi saying he was happy that they managed to overcome first day obstacles which affected the start of the matches.
“Everything is on course and we have just completed our quarter-finals and we will play all the semi-finals on Thursday with the finals on Friday. So far so good things have been flowing smoothly although there are some incidents where I feel bad decisions were made. We will get the reports later and I am sure that there will be improvements in our next matches,” Masiyambumbi said.
In some of the bouts, Ndodana Ncube of Bulawayo stormed into the semi-finals of the flyweight division after beating Tanaka Mataruse of Mashonaland Central while Dignity Mahemba of Masvingo knocked out Harare’s Verily Muhambi in the lightweight.
Results
ATHLETICS
Men 5 000m final: 1. Blessing Jameson, Mashonaland East (15mins 43.51sec); 2. Shylock Chitamba, Mashonaland East (15mins 47.81sec); 3. Richmond Tonorwa, Manicaland (15mins 49.49sec)
Women 5 000m final: 1. Enlitha Ncube, Midlands (17mins 51.35sec); 2. Bertha Chikanga, Mashonaland East (18mins 02.34sec); 3. Anna Bungu, Mashonaland East (18mins 11.69sec)
Men 400m hurdles final: 1. Kenias Gorowa, Mashonaland Central (57.15sec); 2. Daniel Chidavaenzi, Harare (57.56sec); 3. Pride Lusinga, Midlands (57.58sec)
Women 400m hurdles final: 1. Samantha Maruma, Manicaland (one minute 07.14sec); 2. Primrose Zimunhu, Harare (one minute 08.60sec); 3. Sarah Phiri, Mashonaland West (one minute 09.06sec)
Women 400m final: 1. Yvonne Vanhuvaone, Bulawayo (57.55sec); 2. Sharon Mtinsi, Bulawayo (58.61sec); 3. Memory Sithole, Masvingo (58.96sec)
Javelin women final: 1. Perceiver Ncube, Matabeleland South (38.70m); 2. Grace Ndlovu, Matabeleland South (29.82m); 3. Talent Ngachiwe, Manicaland (29.42m)
Triple jump men final: 1. Bhekisisa Tshuma, Matabeleland South (14.42m); Brian Mada, Manicaland (14.12m); Ronaldinho Sithole, Midlands (13.36m)
BOXING
Quarter-finals:Flyweight: Michael Shoko (Mashonaland East) beat David Sibanda (Mashonaland West), Trade Nkomozabo (Masvingo) beat Enias Machona (Midlands), Dignity Ncube (Matabeleland South) beat Wiseman Tshuma (Bulawayo);
Light-flyweight: Ndodana Ncube (Matabeleland North) beat Tanaka Mataruse (Mashonaland Central);
Bantamweight: Spencer Mhurunyenwe (Mashonaland Central) beat Malvern Nyoni (Matabeleland North), Sikhanyiso Maphosa (Manicaland) beat Prosper Shumba (Bulawayo);
Lightweight: Dignity Mahemba (Masvingo) beat Verily Muhambi (Harare), Samson Masiyambumbi (Bulawayo) beat Munyaradzo (Midlands), Onias Hove (Matabeleland North) beat Blessing Liyambo (Midlands);
Light welterweight: Neverson Hove (Midlands beat DylaanJena (Manicaland)
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