South Africa coach for Naaz jumps course

THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) is set to conduct a World Athletics (WA) Coaches Education Certification System Level 2 jumps course, which begins at White City Stadium on Sunday.

South African coach, Josephus Le Roux, will conduct the course with the assistance of Naaz president Tendai Tagara.
Le Roux, a WA certified coach, is expected in the country on Saturday.

Course co-ordinator Manuel Mpofu says the course will have participants from outside Zimbabwe. “We have 22 participants who will take part in this training programme. We have four participants coming from Zambia and one from Botswana. The rest are locals.

“The Level 2 course will be specifically for jumps as we look at both horizontal and vertical jumps that include pole vaults, high jump, triple jump and long jump. Courses like this help our coaches catch up with the latest global trends and ensure that there is growth going forward,” said Mpofu.

WA states that the objective of the Level 2 courses is to provide participants with the theoretical and practical training required to make them capable of officiating at all levels.

The Level 2 courses also identify candidates for the position of area technical official. Those participants whose examination marks meet the required standards are eligible to attend a Level 3 course.

The veteran administrator says preparations for the White City Stars Academy Track and Field Championships set for October 16 are well on course.

“The preparations for the event are well on course. We are excited to have the competition in its fourth year of existence. We have athletes and clubs from across the country expressing interest in the event, which can only mean the competition can only grow bigger and better.

“Our traditional partners have shown interest in partnering us for this competition,” said Mpofu. Events on offer are 100m, 110m hurdles, 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, long jump, triple jump, high jump, javelin, shot put and discus.

Entry fees are pegged at US$3 for the relays, US$2 for the seniors and US$1 for the juniors. The previous editions of the competition have seen sponsorship from Zimbabwe’s former triple jump record holder Ndabazihle Mdhlongwa and Arnold Payne’s Africa Children’s Hope Foundation.

Mobile network operator Econet has also in the past chipped in with T-shirts and other accessories. The club held its first event in 2021, which attracted more than 100 competitors from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.