Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE will look to its emerging junior athletes and established stars in a bid to send a bigger team to next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The men’s 4x400m relay team has already qualified after reaching the final at the World Relays in Gaborone in May, while NAAZ are targeting more individual qualifiers after Zimbabwe fielded eight athletes in Tokyo last year.
The qualification window for most track and field events opened on Sunday and runs until August 22, 2027, while those for the marathon, 10,000m, race walks, combined events and relays opened earlier. The championships will be held from September 11 to 19.
“We are very hopeful that, as Zimbabwe, we will continue our rise and increase the number of athletes who qualify by merit,” said NAAZ director of coaching, talent identification and development Phakamile Lisimati. NAAZ are also looking at athletes from the recent World Athletics Under-20 Championships in the US and others emerging from the NASH and junior ranks.
“If we continue in that vein and form, we are hoping one or two of those boys and girls will make it to the World Championships. They still have a year and a chance to qualify,” said Lisimati.
Sprinters Ropafadzo Mzondo and Trey Chimunya are among the emerging athletes in NAAZ’s plans.
Chimunya qualified for the World Under-20 Championships in the 100m but could not attend after he was denied a visa.
Established contenders include sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, hurdler Ashley Miller and 400m runner Vimbayi Maisvorewa.
Charamba, Makarawu, Miller, Maisvorewa and Tendai Zimuto are already on Olympic Solidarity Scholarships for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
US-based long jumper Tafadzwa Chikomba, who has jumped 8.27m, and sprinter Denzel Simusialela are also in NAAZ’s qualification plans.
“We are hoping the athletes who performed well in the NCAA in America over the last few months will maintain that form. If they do, next year there could be a good number of jumpers and sprinters,” said Lisimati.
