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Ellina Mhlanga-Senior Sports Reporter
THERE are high expectations for the upcoming National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe Gift Chigwere Junior Track and Field championships to be staged in Bulawayo this weekend as athletes battle for places in the national team.
The national association will use the event to finalise their team to compete at the African Under-18 and Under-20 combined championships from April 29 to May 3 in Lusaka, Zambia.
Saturday’s event is the final selection platform and head coach of Zimbabwe athletics, Lisimati Phakamile, said they are confident of more athletes qualifying for the continental meet.
Events on offer include 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 4x100m relay, long jump, high jump, triple jump, javelin and discus.
“As a country, as we are preparing for the Africa Junior Championships, we are expecting a lot of juniors to turnout in Bulawayo, to turn out in numbers to compete.
“We have invited all the juniors and youths that ran at Peterhouse at the National Schools championships to attend our selection. So far we have had confirmations of a big number of athletes coming.
“So we are expecting a very competitive day and very good results that should come out looking at the school athletes and the non-school going athletes competing together, so that we form one strong national team,” Phakamile said.
The National Association of Primary School Heads and National Association of Secondary School Heads held their national championships recently after a three-year break due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The competitions were used as part of the selection process for the upcoming continental event.
Going into Saturday’s meet, they will be making their final selection for the provisional team.
“As an association we are very elated and excited by the return of the schools’ sports both NAPH and NASH.
“We are happy because we had lost quite some time and actually lost generations of athlete development in both primary and secondary age-groups. This return of (schools) athletics is a big move and big step forward in our calendars and in our sport areas.
“We are quite happy that Nash and Naph have resumed and this will help us in the selection of athletes for different age-groups.
“We are also happy that these platforms will help us in the progressive long-term talent identification and development of athletes,” said Phakamile.
Phakamile challenged coaches to step up and assist the upcoming athletes to realise their goals.
NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara is hopeful of the championships with incentives from their sponsor Baldmin Holdings.
They are set to fund special events with prizes for the first female and male athletes in 400m and 1 500m at the championships.
There are scholarships on offer for those that meet the qualifying standards for the special events as well as cash prizes and school fees for a term courtesy of Exclusive Giftshop and Baldmin Holdings.
“As an Association we are happy with the confidence the sponsor is showing in how we have managed the Chigwere track and field since last year.
“All top juniors have been craving for such incentives, and all top 10 in all the events at Nash have indicated that they will come,” said Tagara.
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