Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube-Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S campaign for a place at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo has received a timely boost, with the country set to access its US-based athletes after the conclusion of the American college season in June.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) president Tendai Tagara confirmed that top performers on full scholarships in the United States will be available for national duty once they have fulfilled both academic and sporting commitments tied to their scholarships.
“The athletes will be available after completing their college calendar in June,” Tagara told Zimpapers Sports Hub. “We’ve made several efforts, including engaging coaches in the US, to keep our athletes on course for international qualification.”
The World Championships qualification window for track and field athletes closes in August, giving Zimbabwe a narrow but critical period to prepare competitive relay and individual entries.
Last year, a number of athletes missed the African Games due to university commitments. Tagara said the challenge remains, institutions offering full scholarships expect a full academic and competitive return.
“We tried to get them in April, but that would have disrupted their transition from the indoor season to outdoor events,” he said. “We’ve even engaged the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC), but these universities are investing heavily in the athletes.”
Despite those challenges, Zimbabwe remains hopeful of assembling strong men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams, especially once the athletes conclude their US season in June.
At the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, last week, the men’s 4x400m team was disqualified for a takeover zone violation. Their time of 3:05.65 was also slower than the 3:03.42 they clocked in Botswana earlier in the year to qualify for the event.
Still, individual performances on the global stage have shown Zimbabwe possesses relay potential, if properly harnessed in time.
In the 100m sprint, David Nyamufarira is ranked 14th in the world with a personal best of 10.01 seconds, just 0.01 shy of the automatic qualifying mark for Tokyo.
He is backed by Dezel Siamusialela (55th, 10.11s) and veteran Ngoni Makusha (130th, 10.22s), giving Zimbabwe a competitive edge in the short sprints.
The 200m line-up is equally exciting. Makanakaishe Charamba is ranked 4th in the world with a time of 19.99 seconds, while Tapiwanashe Makarawu, Zimbabwe’s national record holder at 19.93s, is ranked 10th in 2025 with a season best 20.13s. Siamusialela also features in the top 25 with a time of 20.23s.
For the 400m relay, NAAZ can call on 300m specialists who can transition to the full lap. Chiyangwa (32.38s), Makarawu (33.01s), and Pahema (33.42s) are all ranked in the top 75 over 300m.
Seasoned quarter miler Denis Hove, who led Zimbabwe’s charge in China, brings a 45.50s effort this year. He is supported by Carlton Siwela, Chiyangwa (133rd, 45.79s), and Leeford Zuze (185th, 46.00s).
With structured preparations and access to their full complement of overseas talent, Zimbabwe could yet turn late momentum into a historic push for Tokyo and potentially rewrite the national relay record books in the process.
Peter Tanyanyiwa