peter
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) is hosting an international level two sprints and hurdles coaching course at White City Stadium in Bulawayo.
Naaz president Tendai Tagara together with Botswana international coach Muzi Mabuza are conducting the course. The last time the country hosted training of this nature was in 2019 when former Kenyan sprinter Geoffrey Kamani conducted the eight-day Coaches’ Education and Certification System course at the same venue.
The course specifically focuses on sprints and hurdles. For one to attend, they have to be a holder of the World Athletics Level One new or old badge. Naaz administrator Manuel Mpofu said: “We are excited to be hosting this high calibre coaching course. We have 10 coaches that are part of this programme. Participants should be competent in terms of designing programmes, have the ability to know how to plan a one-year cycle as well as to differentiate between strength and power. As a country we want to push to have our coaches becoming specialists which will help us improve our athletics,” said Mpofu.
Meanwhile, the Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) is set to host the Naaz Inter-club Track and Field championships at White City Stadium next month. Entry fees are pegged at US$2/ZWL$2 000 per event per athlete for cadets, youths and juniors, US$$3/ZWL$3 000 per event per athlete for seniors and US$4/ZWL$4000 per relay team. The programme will commence at 8am.
Events on offer are 100m, 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, ZITF Coca-Cola Four Minute Mile Challenge qualifiers, long jump, triple jump, high jump, javelin, shot-put and discus throwing. The inter-club championships were introduced a few years back to strengthen the grassroots level of competition which is the backbone of the sport. — Follow on Twitter @innocentskizoe
derick.khumalo
Online Reporter