Naaz and ZOC relationship praised

THE relationship between the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) has been hailed as recipients have performed exceptionally well over the last cycle.

Star triple jumper, Chengetai Mapaya who is keeping his fingers crossed about a possible participation at this year’s Paris Olympics as he is among the top 32 jumpers in the world this year with 16.87m, said the collaboration between the athletics motherbody and ZOC had assisted him from injury.

He said after jumping his epic 17.26m in 2022, he suffered an injury which kept him out of action in 2023. The year 2024, he said was his year of recovery and had worked hard through funding from ZOC to help him recuperate and attend competitions. “I would like to thank the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe whose collaboration with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee has been key to my rise to form,” said Mapaya.

Mapaya last week won Zimbabwe’s first silver medal at the Senior African Track and Field Championships held at Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon. “I was under no pressure at all coming here. I was confident I would do it. I could have done better, man, but I had an injury for most of last season, but I have come back, I dream of excelling even better. With the Olympic funding, I was able to get medical attention and work towards my return to action.

“The scholarship helped me a great deal and I am sure I will still be there at the next Olympics and World Championships. This was good exposure for me and I learnt much. I am quite grateful to the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, I used their funding to heal and prepare for competitions,” said Mapaya. Pakamile Lisimati, who was coach of the team that won two silver medals at the African Championships, praised the scholarship funding.

“We have been able to sit down with ZOC and discuss on how best our Olympic prospects can benefit. For instance, Isaac Mpofu has been on a scholarship for over a year and has done well for the country, running good times consistently since qualifying for Paris. He is paid an allowance and is an example of a local athlete who has been on our programme and excelled,” said Lisimati.

He mentioned that Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Mapaya were the other two athletes enjoying funding from the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
“The partnership is bearing fruit, look at what Mapaya and Makarawu have achieved. We are also vindicated when our recommended athletes go on to do well. We would like to see more serious young athletes coming through and doing well.

“One such athlete who deserves consideration is Yadah athlete Denis Hove whose 45.29 seconds in the 400m may be the third-best time in the distance,” said Lisimati who is proud that Mpofu has achieved great results while training at home. Lisimati said some of the deserving ZOC scholarship recipients may be the rising talent that needs local funding and programmes to excel. ZOC has supported several local athletes over the years to attempt to qualify or those already qualified for final preparations.