adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE Harare Athletic Board holds their track and field championships today at the National Sports Stadium B Arena with high expectations for the meet following confirmation by some of the country’s top athletes to take part.
The competition will see athletes competing in a number of events including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1 500m, 5 000m and 4x100m relay, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus and javelin.
Some of the six-member team that has been earmarked to form the core of the national team for this year’s major competitions including the Olympic Games are expected to compete at today’s event.
Dickson Kamungeremu, Tatenda Tsumba, Ngoni Makusha, Itayi Vambe and Norman Mukwada will be among those competing at today’s meet.
Tsumba said after some intense preparations for the season, the competition will serve as a time trial to measure the progress they have made.
“We just completed our endurance cycle and are four weeks into speed work, so this is a time trial for us to gauge not only our endurance but the speed as well.
“I will be competing in the 300m and 4x400m which should be a great evaluation of where we are this early in the season,” Tsumba said.
Ngoni Makusha, who has set his eyes mainly for qualification in the 200m is convinced this will be a good start for him.
“It’s my first race of the season, so I will be doing more of long stuff…So it’s just about speed endurance, it’s just testing where I am now, just trying to get a feel of competition.
“I am concentrating on 200m because that’s where my strength is and I feel I can run faster times. But I also have been becoming strong in 100m. I will see after competition,” said Makusha.
Although there has been a slow start to the season in some of the few competitions that have been held since the beginning of this month including the national season opener, HAB secretary-general Sledge Chinyoka said they are likely to see more athletes for the meet.
“We anticipate an increase in the number of athletes in tomorrow’s meeting as schools are now open. More so being an athletics season, schools will take advantage of this opportunity to prepare their teams for Naph and Nash competitions. In addition, most clubs have resumed their athletics season.
“This is significant to the athletes as well as avail the national team coach to assess other athletes for the Olympics,” said Chinyoka.
Besides the Olympic Games, a number of regional and international competitions are lined up for this year including the World Under-20 championships and Senior African championships.
Coach Lisimati Phakamile, who has been working with the team that was in South Africa together with David Tinago, said they need the competition ahead of their first major meet in South Africa next month.
“This will be a test for them to see where they are before their first competition. It will also give them confidence by doing over distances of their events and also to shake loose race fever.
“Their first major event will be on the 15th of February in Pretoria, South Africa and it’s a qualifier for the Olympics,” said Phakamile.
The competitions that have been held so far have featured mostly upcoming athletes and a few seniors with some indicating they were still finalising their pre-season preparations.
All interested athletes were expected to have sent their entries by yesterday.
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