Online Reporter
Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe prepare for a number of key junior meets this year, athletes will have to step up to their plate ahead of key selection events set for next month.
NAAZ are bracing for yet another busy calendar year as they look to field teams at the Southern Region African Youth Championships in Mauritius in June.
It will be followed by the World Under-20 Championships scheduled for August in the United States and the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in December, to be hosted by Mozambique.
The athletics mother body will host the first leg of the selection competitions on March 14 in Harare and Bulawayo. In Bulawayo the junior athletes will converge at White City, and in Harare they will meet at the University of Zimbabwe. The two events to run on the same day will mark the initial stages of selection, with the top eight athletes progressing to the NAAZ Junior and Senior Inter-provincial Championships on April 25 and 26 in Harare.
NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara said yesterday the idea is to de-congest the nationals and allow athletes to give their best going through the selection events to qualify for the final meet.
“We could have 17 heats for boys only. But now Southern region runs a competition, with provinces close to Bulawayo going to Bulawayo and top eight athletes in each event qualifies.
“Same with the Northern region, provinces closer to Harare attend the competition there. Then top eight at NASH also comes in, meaning we are having 24 athletes coming to nationals.
“And we expect good times at the nationals because competition will be from semis to finals.”
Tagara said they want to improve the quality of competition to ensure they have competitive athletes
“Remember this championship in April, why we want it to be of great quality, is because it is the same competition that we are going to use to select the final team for Mozambique (Region 5 Youth Games).
“We are also looking at athletes who will qualify to go for the Southern Region Youth Championships in Mauritius.
“This is the final competition again where athletes will attempt to qualify for the World Juniors in USA. It’s a big competition where we are looking at quality,” said Tagara.
The NAAZ president added that they had to move the senior competition from June to April, since the African Championships will be in May.
“We are bringing the Senior Inter-provincial which was supposed to be in June to April. Why? The Senior Africa Championships is coming early.
“We can’t have our National Championships after the Africa Senior Championships; it doesn’t make sense because our National Championships is a preparation for the Africa Senior Championships.”
