Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) believe the country can send at least 10 athletes to the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China.
Their confidence is built on the progress Zimbabwean athletes have made over the past three years, with notable performances at the Olympic Games, World Championships, World Relays and Diamond League.
Last year, Zimbabwe sent one of its largest teams in more than two decades to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
The eight-member team competed in track, field and road events. More importantly, seven of the athletes secured their places through entry standards or world rankings, with only one relying on a universality slot.
That followed a historic showing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba became the first Zimbabweans to reach the men’s 200m final at the same edition of the Games.
Both were making their Olympic debuts.
They carried that form into last year’s World Championships, where Makarawu reached the final and Charamba advanced to the semi-finals.
Zimbabwe’s progress continued this year when the quartet of Gerren Muwishi, Leeford Zuze, Thandazani Ndhlovu and Dennis Hove became the country’s first relay team to reach a World Relays final in Botswana.
Their performance also secured qualification for the 2027 World Championships.
The achievement came a year after the men’s 4x400m relay team had been disqualified in the second qualifying round at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, for starting outside the takeover zone.
They recovered from that disappointment to make history in Botswana. They may have missed the podium, but reaching the final and qualifying for Beijing represented significant progress for a country working with limited resources and facilities.
The relay team later won gold at the African Senior Championships in Ghana.
Charamba added to the encouraging results when he secured a podium finish at the recent Diamond League Final.
Those performances have strengthened belief within NAAZ that Zimbabwe can take a bigger and more competitive team to Beijing. Qualification for the track and field events opened late last month, with places determined through entry standards and world rankings.
NAAZ director of coaching, talent identification and development Phakamile Lisimati is confident more athletes will make the grade.
“Our athletes have the potential to qualify. The 4x400m team has already secured its place, and we are seeing Zimbabwe building a stronger and bigger team,” said Lisimati.
“We are targeting at least two relay teams if everything goes our way.
“We could send three relay teams. We already have the 4x400m team, and we are hoping the 4x100m men and the mixed 4x400m team will also qualify.
“As an association, we are hopeful that we will have a bigger group of athletes travelling to the World Championships.
“We are also not forgetting our road runners. We are closely monitoring their form and the potential we have on the road.”
The men’s 4x400m relay team has since been joined by Charamba, who has secured qualification in the 200m event.
Several other sprinters remain in contention, including Makarawu and Denzel Simusialela.
Hurdler Ashley Miller, 400m runner Vimbayi Maisvorewa and long jumper Tafadzwa Chikomba are also among the athletes being monitored.
Marathon runners Tendai Zimuto and Godwin Katakura have stepped up preparations for key races where they hope to achieve qualifying times.
Seasoned distance runner Isaac Mpofu also remains in contention.
Some members of the 4x400m relay team are chasing places in the individual 400m event.
Coach Mavhuto Tumba, who works with Hove, said they had already begun preparations.
“We are hoping he can qualify for the individual event because he wants to compete in his own race,” said Tumba.
“They have qualified as a relay team, but we are still pushing for the individual event. That is now our focus.” Zuze, who is coached by relay teammate Muwishi, is also targeting individual qualification.
The entry standard for the men’s 400m has been tightened from 44.85 seconds for the previous World Championships to 44.45 seconds for Beijing.
Zuze has a personal best of 44.91 seconds and knows he will need strong competition to push him closer to the qualifying mark.
“My target is to qualify for the 400m at the World Championships,” said Zuze.
“I need to find competitive races where I can run against top athletes and push for a good time.
“When I ran my personal best, I competed against athletes such as Letsile Tebogo, and that pushed me.”
NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara said the association was working to create qualifying opportunities for athletes based both at home and abroad.
“We are expecting not fewer than 10 athletes in Beijing,” said Tagara.
“For the 4x100m relay, we are saying the athletes in America must be supported. We have written to the Sports Commission seeking assistance for them to compete and chase a qualifying time while they are there.
“At the same time, outstanding home-based athletes will be assisted to compete in relay events in South Africa and Botswana. We have created a budget for that.”
With one relay team and Charamba having already qualified, NAAZ have reason to aim higher.
The longer-term target is no longer simply to send athletes to major competitions. It is to place more Zimbabweans in finals and, eventually, on the podium.
