Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S 4x400m relay team manager Gerren Muwishi believes they have covered most of the groundwork ahead of their crucial participation at the Maseru International Meet on Saturday.
The 4x400m team is looking at securing a slot at the forthcoming World Relays to be hosted by Botswana in Gaborone on May 2 and 3.
Muwishi is doubling as an athlete and will be joined by Leeford Zuze, Dennis Hove and Thandazani Ndhlovu.
The quartet has the upcoming Ropafadzo Mzondo, coming in as a reserve.
Muwishi and Zuze have been working together at the University of Zimbabwe while the other team members have been with their clubs. They are scheduled to leave for Lesotho this afternoon.
“I think the preparations have been great so far because the association had said we want guys to run individual times first and then they can select the team.
“Most of the guys have been working at their respective clubs. Leeford and myself, we train together and so far so good. Leeford just ran two 45s in January.
“And then Dennis and Thandazani at their respective clubs have also been doing great because in January they also ran two of the three fastest times in the country,” said Muwishi. Qualification period opened on January 1, 2025 and closes on April 5, 2026.
The World relays programme in Gaborone includes six events — Women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, Men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relays, and the mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays. A maximum of 24 teams will be entered in each event at the World Relays.
The top eight teams from last year’s Tokyo World Championships will qualify for entry while the hosts may enter one team in each event regardless of entry conditions.
The remaining teams, to reach 24, are determined through Top Lists in the qualification period.
Zimbabwe’s 4x400m team is currently ranked 23 with a time of 3 minutes 03.42 seconds, and are within the qualification frame of 24 teams to compete in Botswana.
They need to maintain or better their ranking by the closure of the qualification window on April 5. The 4x400m team have two races – the Maseru International Meet this weekend and the Lefika International Relays in Botswana, scheduled for March 28 to try and seal their qualification.
“I think the race in Lesotho and subsequently the one in Botswana, the Lefika Relays, will be an attempt for us to solidify our qualification.
“We just need to push our times down . . . With the crew that we have now, it seems like it’s a job that’s going to be done,” said Muwishi. Muwishi, Zuze and Hove were part of the team that qualified for the same meet held in China, last year.
For the previous edition, 32 teams qualified in each event, however, the numbers were reduced to 24 for the 2026 competition.
