adminRay Bande Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER Mweyamutsvene High School student Ditepha Chuzi has made a big break in his career after making it into the Zimbabwe team in the just-ended selection process held in Harare.Chuzi, who completed his Advanced Level studies last year at Mweyamutsvene High School in Marange, is turning 21 this year.
The youthful athlete was in Harare recently where he acquitted himself well when he took part in the Zimbabwe team selection exercise that was held to choose athletes that will represent the nation in forthcoming international competitions. In the Harare selection exercise, Chuzi outsmarted competitors to land pole position in the tightly contested 400m race competition before he settled for second position in the 200m contest. For his impressive exploits in the selection process, Chuzi earned himself a place in the national Under-23 team.
In an interview upon his return to the eastern border city, Chuzi said he was delighted to be part of the national team and hoped to achieve more in his career.
The well-built athlete urged athletics clubs in Mutare to be more visible and vibrant in order for talented athletes to be identified and nurtured at an early age.
“I am really happy to be part of the national team. This is something that I have always looked forward to since I started taking athletics seriously. I hope this will be a springboard to more achievements in my career as an athlete.
“After finishing Form Six last year, I hope I will now have more time to concentrate on athletics. The only challenge is that the clubs around Mutare are not that vibrant and visible. I really want to urge athletics clubs in Mutare to be more visible and vibrant in order for talented athletes to be identified and nurtured at an early age,” he said.
Apart from his wish to join a vibrant athletics club, Chuzi is also fighting hard to secure sponsorship to enable him to partake in as many competitions as he can.
“I really want to join a vibrant athletics club and I am actually in the process of assessing which club will best suit my interests. I have seriously considered relocating to Harare where I will join a serious athletics club like WWF Academy.
“In the same breadth, I am also looking for a sponsor to enable me to take part in as many competitions as I can. Sponsorship will also help me to cover travelling, food and accommodation expenses whenever I go places for competitions. While many erroneously have the opinion that sponsorship is a waste of resources, it is worth mentioning that I have regalia that can go a long way as a marketing tool for the sponsor,” he added.
Chuzi, who has since recovered after shaking off a nagging thigh injury sustained last year, started taking athletics seriously while he was still in primary school.
The injury resulted in him being sidelined in most of the National Association of School Heads (NASH) competitions last year.
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