Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE men’s 4x400m relay team delivered a strong performance to claim the top spot at the Maseru International Meet in Lesotho over the weekend.
The team made up of Gerren Muwishi, Thandazani Ndhlovu, Leeford Zuze and Dennis Hove won the race in 3 minutes 03.55 seconds at Setsoto Stadium in Maseru.
It was the team’s first race for this year.
Zimbabwe were up against Senegal, Lesotho and Eswatini as countries push to secure slots at the upcoming World Relays due to take place on May 2 and 3 in Gaborone, Botswana.
Muwishi, who is doubling as team manager, said it was an encouraging performance considering the weather conditions on the day and that it was their first competition. “On the day the conditions were not in our favour, from a two-hour delay in the programme to a rainy and cold weather, and a -5.4 wind. But the boys managed to make the most of it and the time we ran wasn’t bad considering it was our first run as a team,” said Muwishi.
The World Relays will feature the women’s 4x100m, women’s 4x400m, men’s 4x100m, men’s 4x400m, mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
Twenty-four teams will qualify for each of the six events on the programme for the competition. Zimbabwe are ranked 24 with a time of 3 minutes 03.42 seconds and are hoping to stay within the qualification frame.
With the Top Lists regularly changing as countries look to secure last-minute qualification in the remaining few weeks, they had hoped to improve their time going into the Maseru International Meet and move up on the rankings.
However, they still have one more competition, the Lefika International Relays this weekend in Botswana, and will be aiming for a better time to seal their qualification.
“We should be in a position to improve on our next attempt. As stated earlier, had the conditions been optimal, the time would definitely have been better.
“But we can’t look back on what’s already happened. Our eyes are already set on our next competition,” said Muwishi.
The previous edition had 32 entries for each event, and the team qualified through the Top List after they were ranked 28 by the end of the qualification period.
However, World Athletics reduced the number to 24 for the upcoming meet.
The top eight teams from last year’s Tokyo World Championships will qualify for entry, and the hosts may enter one team in each event regardless of the entry conditions. The remaining teams are determined through the Top List in the qualification period. For Muwishi, Hove and Zuze, it will be familiar territory as they return to the Lefika Relays this coming weekend having competed at the same event last year.
Muwishi said they are looking at building on the weekend’s outcome in Maseru.
“The boys’ spirits are high and we are confident from today’s (Saturday) result that we will be able to get the time we need.
“As a unit we don’t have a lot of time to work together before Lefika as it is this coming weekend considering the travelling, so we are just going to go out there and give it our best,” Muwishi said.
