dyton mupawaenda
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOLLOWING the Zimbabwe men’s 4x400m team’s qualification for the World Relays, National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe director of coaching, talent identification and development Lisimati Phakamile reckons the association is in the right direction with their efforts.
The relays are scheduled for May 10 to 11 in Guangzhou, China with men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m, plus mixed relays on offer.
Each of the disciplines is expected to feature 32 teams.
“First of all, I want to say congratulations to the local boys for standing up and qualifying for the World Relays in China.
“It was quite an amazing performance that they posted in Francistown that led them to qualifying.
“They have really worked hard and it’s quite impressive looking at the individual splits time that they performed,” said Phakamile.
Zimbabwe’s last participation at the World Relays was in 2019 with the men’s 4x100m team.
As they prepare for another appearance at the world stage, this time around with a 4x400m team, Phakamile has credited efforts being made by locally-based athletes.
“It’s very promising, especially for our local grooming and local development of talent.
“Now it’s twice using local boys, and it really shows that there is a lot of hard work that is happening and a lot of development that is taking place.
“We are working around the clock to try and sharpen up our performance. It’s our first time to take the 400m boys to the World Relays.”
The top 14 teams from the World Relays automatically qualify for the World Athletics Championships, due to take place from September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.
So far, Tapiwanashe Makarawu is the only athlete that has qualified for the global meet.
“We are expecting them to better the national record, first of all, and try to qualify for the World Championships that will be coming again towards the end of year in Tokyo.
“We are setting our goals and eyes to be in the last 16 for the World Championships. Anything else above that is a bonus for us.
“The team is already in Harare, working at the B Arena with assigned coaches to assist them in their preparation and performances.
“We are quite ready, as I have said earlier on, that we are setting that also as one of our short-term goals to make the semifinals of the competitions in that event and automatically qualify for the World Championships,” Phakamile said.
The team that qualified was made up Leeford Zuze, Gerren Muwishi, Aldrin Mafa and Dennis Hove is already back in training.
They posted a time of 3minutes 03.39seconds, which was quite close to the national record of 3minutes 00.79seconds set in 1997.
Muwishi is confident in his teammates.
“The boys are already over the fact that we qualified and have already gotten back to their daily training regime. We understand that qualification is the easier part.
“Going on the main stage to compete against the best of the best in the world is an entirely different animal on its own.
“So, we have to put in extra work if we want to give ourselves a fighting chance
“Preparation-wise, we are in the process of integrating our programmes so that we train together as a unit because relays aren’t about speed only, bit we need to build chemistry as a team.
“With the depth and determination that the lads have, I trust my teammates will do the best they can to ensure that we move from China to Tokyo Japan later in the year,” said Muwishi.
They will be joined by two juniors that excelled at the Junior Championships in Bulawayo, last week.
Online Reporter