Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Acting Sports Editor
NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara has ruled himself out of running for the Confederation of African Athletics presidential race at the forthcoming elective congress set for Cote d’Ivoire.
The elective congress will be held in April this year but Tagara who was recently elected into the CAA council said he was content with the new post and will not be going for the big one, amid indications that a Kenyan national will likely challenge the presidency of Cameroonian national Hamad Malboum Kalbaba who has been at the helm for the past 16 years.
Kalbaba was elected into his fourth term in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2015 and his term of office comes to an end this year.
“No, I will not be contesting for any position, especially the presidency. Remember I was recently elected into the CAA council last December in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said Tagara.
Kalbaba’s presidency came under serious scrutiny after the 21st Africa Athletics Championships at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Nigeria’s Delta State after serious shortcomings were witnessed during the meet that saw events delayed for incoherent medal ceremonies, technical blunders that affected results and an unreliable results service.
The elective congress will be held on the eve of the African Junior Championships and Zimbabwe are already gearing up for the meet with the first competition set for the National Sports Stadium’s B Arena this Sunday where 10 events will be competed for, according to an invitation letter from the Naaz secretary general Cynthia Phiri which she sent to schools, colleges and clubs around the country.
Sidumisile Mabena