Online Reporter
Sukoluhle Mthethwa
ZIMBABWE athletics legend Samukeliso Moyo has called for the recognition of former sportspersons in Zimbabwe.
She said in an interview last week that local athletes are forgotten the day they exit sport by retirement or forced by injury.
Moyo challenged sports administrators and the nation to do more for sportspersons after retirement so that they can live better lives adding that they have a role to inspire the next generation.
She said athletes must be prepared for life after their active careers.
“The youngsters can be inspired by what we achieved but there should be life after sports. But we are forgotten, there is no remembrance. It’s like we do not exist and we become like globes which used to shine but are now very dim,” she said.
Many yesteryear greats are a pale shadow of their former selves, living in abject conditions.
Moyo alongside a very competitive field of girls, will always be celebrated for defining road running, long and middle track distances in the 1990s.
Moyo rose from rural Gwanda to national and international stardom.
In a generation that boasted Margaret Mahohoma, Zondiwe Nyoni, Fritty Moyo, Sikhulile Sibanda, Busi Nyoni, Sibusiso Nyoni, Singazi Dube, Faith Kamangira, Jane Makombe, Sharon Tavengwa, Siphulwazi Sibindi, Nokuthula Munkuli, Beauty Dube and Marvellous Kativhu, a very competitive field from 800m to 21.1km, Moyo was among the leading girls winning several races locally and regionally.
Zimpapers Sports Hub spoke to Moyo about her athletics journey last week. She was born at Chelesa Clinic on 1 January 1974. She did her primary school education at Gobathema Primary School before proceeding to Ntepe Secondary School.
“I started running at primary school. I used to run 800m, what we used to call two rounds. I would not say I was good but I ensured that I trained hard all the time,” she said.
While trying to figure out which sport to choose Moyo also had an interest in netball.
“I used to play netball but I then decided that it was best to pursue and focus on one talent. I chose athletics because it’s a one men’s game. In other sports it is combined effort so if one makes a mistake it can cost the whole team, so I decided to settle for an individual sport.”
In her journey at primary school level she competed against schools like Tshongwe, Mahongola, Ntalale, Vela and Halisupi.
“I competed against several schools while at primary school. I was always trying athletics, winning and losing but I persevered,” said Moyo.
She continued at secondary school where she competed against schools like Garanyemba, Silonga, Ntepe and Manama High School.
“I represented Matabeleland South in the Dairibord Inter-Provincial Cross Country Championships in 1996. I competed in the 6km race in 23 minutes 40 seconds. The unknown Samukeliso had won the race,” said the seasoned athlete.
After the race she was selected to be part of the Zimbabwe team to represent the country in the World Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa.
“It was the first time for me to board a plane. I could not believe it, little did I know that boarding an airplane would gradually become a regular feature to me just like boarding a bus,” she said.
True to her word, Moyo travelled to many countries regionally and internationally.
At the end of 1996, she travelled to Luanda, Angola for her second international competition in a year where she had debuted with the World Cross-Country Championships.
In 1998, she represented the country in the World Cross-Country Championships in Morocco.
Moyo attributed her success to God
“I would pray to God and ask him to help me represent the country, the best way I could. It’s like in soccer, supporters want victory all the time. So I was doing my best as well so that I could win as I was hungry for victory,” she said.
Moyo said family supported her in her sporting endeavours.
“My grandmother used to accompany me to races. I want to acknowledge the role and effort she played. “Close relatives were sceptical at first but because of my performances they ended up understanding and celebrating my victories,” she said.
She remembers her father buying her a cow after she won a race.
“I remember my father bought me a cow after I won US$200 in one race run in Harare. It was a lot of money then. I could not believe that my earnings in athletics had made me buy a beast. From that I learnt that I had to invest so I eventually bought a house in Gweru and another one in Bulawayo,” she said.
Moyo mentioned other people who had a positive role in her success.
“After finishing her ‘O’ Level education, my teacher, Sebastian Ncube, encouraged me to continue running. He knew I had potential,” she said
She attributed her success to then chairperson of the Matabeleland North Athletics Board, Christine Ncube and former National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, president Joseph Mungwari.
“Christine Ncube invited me to her home in Gwabalanda. I stayed with her. She nursed my talent. I had to show gratitude by way of good behaviour, she supported me and encouraged me and did everything she could to support me,” said Moyo.
On Mungwari she said: “He encouraged me to work on my mistakes after bad races. He encouraged me to work harder to succeed. Mungwari guided me and gave me proper training,” said Moyo.
“I would train sometimes twice a day, morning and evening. So I needed to be disciplined by not walking up and down the whole day but resting so that I train well in the evening,” she said.
The legend urged athletes to be more focused on themselves during competitions.
“Competing on its own is difficult no matter who you are up against. Athletes should not focus on other athletes because you won’t be knowing how the other athletes prepared or if they have a problem like an injury. That is why any athlete can win on any other day. Athletes need endurance because you compete whether it’s raining, hot or cold.”
However, Moyo is not happy about remuneration levels at some of the events nowadays.
“Sometimes there are races where athletes go to without even knowing the prizemoney and breakdown for winners. Races are a source of a livelihood,” questioned Moyo.
She called on organisers and sponsors to pay enough to help marathon runners eke a living out of roadrunning.
Such was the girls’ quality in her time that a number of them, won several international races which put Zimbabwe on the map.
Moyo was not be outdone as she won many accolades.
“One of my major international races was the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, I won a bronze medal in the 5000m after I finished it in 15 minutes 47 seconds.”
She holds the national record for the 5000m ran in 15 minutes 40,43 seconds run on 8 March 2000.
Her best 1 500m time is 4 minutes 17,37 seconds set in Australia in 1998.
She has a career best 2 hours 37 minutes 17 seconds in the marathon achieved in 2008.
Moyo was once placed eighth at the African Championships twice and at the World Cross-Country Championships.
She represented Zimbabwe at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 having made the grade to run at the World Championships in Seville, Spain in 1999.
Her successes include good finishes in the Two Oceans, City to City, Soweto Marathon and South African Championships.
