Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
A new confidence rippled through Zimbabwean athletics this week as the World Athletics Championships wound down in Tokyo. For the first time in two decades, the country fielded a team of eight athletes, a sign that years of quiet groundwork are beginning to pay off.
Five men and three women made the trip, and all but one qualified through entry standards or world rankings. The rest earned their spots on pure merit.
Four were debutants: hurdler Ashley Miller, 400 m sprinter Vimbayi Maisvorewa, marathon runner Tendai Zimuto, and 200 m sprinter Makanakaishe Charamba. Charamba reached the semi-finals, while Miller and Maisvorewa fought hard in the heats. Zimuto finished 61st in the marathon. Their paths may differ, but their presence spoke of a deeper change.
The veterans in the squad showed how far Zimbabwe has come. Marathoner Isaac Mpofu confirmed his place among the world’s best with a top-10 finish. Sprinter Tapiwanashe Makarawu, back for his second Worlds, reached the 200 m final, a striking leap from his first appearance in Budapest when he failed to get out of the heats. Fortunate Chidzivo in the marathon and triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya completed the team, adding experience to a youthful group.
For those shaping the sport at home, these performances carry more weight than times on a clock. “It’s the biggest contingent so far in 20 years,” said Briad Nhubu, head coach for youth and junior teams.
“We are seeing the composition of girls and boys. It’s a huge development for athletics in Zimbabwe. Grassroots work we started years back is showing results.”
He pointed to Maisvorewa and Makarawu as examples of athletes who matured in the local system before finding faster tracks and stronger competition abroad.
“Most of them break times when they get to America or Western countries,” Nhubu said, “but the development starts here and we’re happy it’s bearing fruit.”
That pipeline is growing. David Nyamufarira, who represented Zimbabwe at the World Under-20 Championships and now trains in the United States, is among the next wave. Nhubu believes a dedicated High Performance Centre is the missing link. “We need a place to work with these athletes and hold on to them a bit. Given the right training, we’ll be somewhere soon,” he said.
He credited the National Association of Primary Heads and the National Association of Secondary Heads for helping identify talent, but warned that without facilities many young prospects fade away.
“Botswana isn’t doing anything magical,” he said. “They invest in athletes and create competitions. We need the same commitment, with Government support, to realise our dream at international level.”
National competitions director Manuel Mpofu also sees a rising curve.
“Having eight athletes, with four new faces, shows a trajectory,” he said.
“I’m hoping that in 2027 we’ll have an even bigger number. The key is to keep them busy, organising more competitions and investing in coaches, upgrading them time and again.”
Mpofu accepted that scholarships abroad remain important for now. “It’s an advantage when someone goes to America where there are better facilities,” he said. “But we have to start from home.”
Behind the statistics lies a wider story of belief. Zimbabwean athletics has endured long spells of stagnation, watching neighbours like Botswana and Kenya produce champions while its own talent left or faded. The Tokyo campaign suggests a shift. Four young athletes arrived on qualifying times or rankings, not by invitation. One made a world final, another cracked the marathon’s top 10.
What happens next depends on how the country nurtures this fragile progress. More competitions at home would harden athletes for global demands. A high performance centre could keep emerging stars from slipping away. Continued investment in coaching will shape the next generation.
For now, the team flies home with memories of packed stadiums and fast tracks, and with proof that Zimbabwe can once again belong on the world stage.
Whether Tokyo becomes the spark for sustained success will be revealed in the years ahead, but for the first time in a long while the path forward feels open and bright.
