Tagara warns athletes against drugs

THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has implored athletes to shun using drugs on and off the track in order to maintain the highest degree of discipline.

Naaz president, Tendai Tagara was speaking after the successful Econet Victoria Falls Marathon on Sunday.

His words come at a time when the country is making serious efforts to fight the scourge of drugs and substance abuse.

President Mnangagwa recently launched the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030) in a bold move to tackle the growing scourge of drug and substance abuse.

The annual event saw 5 190 athletes registering from around the world for its 16th edition, which Tagara said was a huge success.
There are no known reports of abuse of drugs by athletes at the event, which closed with a musical show in the evening to allow runners and fans to cool off and interact.

In an interview, Tagara commended the organisers for the event that has grown from 600 runners at its inception to over 5 000 at the 16th edition.
Organisers said they were overwhelmed by last minute inquiries for registration by runners.
Tagara said the Victoria Falls Marathon is a perfect training platform for the country’s runners.

“The Victoria Falls Marathon is very important on our calendar as it is the race we use to assess the performance of our 42km runners. I want to thank all athletes that participated today and I am calling more athletes to use the Victoria Falls Marathon because it has so many events including some for juniors,” he said.

Tagara said athletes must desist from taking drugs and other such substances as this affects their careers.
“Make sure you are clean, you participate, socialise and learn the positive things from others,” he said. — @ncubeleon.