NAAZ optimistic

Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
AFTER a difficult season during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification period, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe is targeting to have their athletes start chasing for qualification times to the World Athletics Championships soon.

The world meet is scheduled for next year in the United States and the qualification period is already open. For marathon and 35km race walk the qualification period opened on November 30, 2020 and closes on May 29, 2022.

For 10 000m, 20km race walk, relays and combined events, the window is from December 27, 2020 and runs until June 26, 2022. While for the other disciplines qualification period is June 27, 2021 to June 26, 2022.

NAAZ president Tendai Tagara said with the Covid-19 pandemic still posing challenges, athletes will have to start chasing qualification times early.

“We hope to start early in this confusion. We want to start the struggle now by attending (competition) in October, in Cape Town, that is if we get training time under this Covid.

“We have to start early to chase races, and pray for a quieter season coming,” said Tagara.

The qualifying standards remain the same as those used for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualification.

Based on the experience during the Olympics qualification, athletes will have to up their game if they are to make the grade for the World Championships.