Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube [email protected]
DECADES after the Schweppes Executive Relay was abandoned, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) is back with an event set to appeal to corporate bodies and their leaders.
The Corporate Relay is set for November 1 here in Bulawayo.
In the 1980s and 1990s the Bulawayo business community had its own race which was very popular. Dozens of companies sent representative teams to take part in the race and benefitted from networking after the races.
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe in a statement yesterday said they had chosen Bulawayo to play host to their first such event because the city had a good DNA in the sport.
“For Naaz, the decision to launch the festival in Bulawayo is significant. The city has a proud sporting tradition and has played an important role in the development of Zimbabwean athletics,” said Naaz in the statement.
The national athletics body boss, Tendai Tagara, said the staging of the inaugural festival in Bulawayo also reinforces Naaz’s commitment to growing athletics across the country.
The event will he held at the Naaz Corporate Relay Festival at Khumalo Hockey Stadium. This is where it will start and finish.
It will be staged under the theme “Run. Compete. Connect. Celebrate.”
With corporate organisations, Government, schools, colleges, universities, athletes and communities coming together, a shared vision of health, wellness, social cohesion and sustainable athletics will be brought to the shore as a possibility for every corner of Zimbabwe.
“We are creating a platform where corporate Zimbabwe can run for wellness today while helping us build the champions of tomorrow. Our bigger objective is to create a sustainable bridge between corporate Zimbabwe and junior athletics development,” said Tagara.
The growth of the sport in Zimbabwe depends on how well the corporate sector supports grassroots development.
Zimbabwe has grown to a country that is recognizable in sprints and marathons in the world because of a clearly defined development programme driven by Naaz’s coach development and schools’ well-structured systems which allow national competitions among public and private schools.
More funding could see more good results.
“A major legacy objective of the Corporate Relay is to mobilise stronger partnerships around talent identification, junior competitions, coaching and technical development, athlete support and equipment. The festival will also feature corporate health and wellness activities, competitive and recreational athletics, networking and brand engagement, junior athletics and family participation,” said Naaz in the statement.
Outstanding corporates will be awarded with the prestigious Naaz Corporate Cup – Corporate Team of the Year.”
“Bulawayo has given Zimbabwe outstanding sporting talent and has a proud sporting heritage. We want major Naaz programmes to have a national footprint and to create opportunities for athletes, young people and communities across the country,” Tagara said.
The flagship event is a 10km relay in which 10 athletes will run a kilometre each.
