Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
NATIONAL head coach for youth and junior teams Briad Nhubu has admitted they had a tough time at the ongoing African Youth Games in Angola after most of the athletics team members missed out on podium finishes.
Athletics is part of Team Zimbabwe at the Games that end this Saturday with the official closing ceremony.
And it was one of the sport codes with a large chunk of athletes, fielding 20 athletes — 10 boys and 10 girls at the multi-sport showpiece featuring youngsters between the age of 14 and 17 from across the continent.
Only Yolanda Nyarugwe managed to attain a podium finish when finishing third in javelin with a 36.50m throw in the girls’ competition.
With the athletics competition done, Nhubu feels they could have done better.
“The performance was below expectation. Most athletes failed to run their PBs (personal best), which means the preparation wasn’t thorough enough to meet the level of competition.
“A few athletes like Ropafadzo Mzondo had fought hard to get to finals and lost by torso finish. Tawananyasa Chakonda also tried hard to beat podium finish but settled for position four.
“We have managed to scoop a bronze medal in javelin girls category. Nyarugwe Yolanda rescued the team to the medal table with a distance of 36.50m,” said Nhubu.
Athletics was one of the sport codes that weighed in with several medals at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia, in July.
However, the competition in Angola, with athletes drawn from across the continent proved tough for the Zimbabwean team.
Despite the disappointment, Nhubu said there is potential and they can build on that with the likes of Mzondo, Chakonda, Ishmael Mafoti, Darrel Kurangwa and Kylie Chanakira reaching the finals in their respective events.
Mafoti posted a new personal best time of 10.87 seconds in the boys 100m.
“Good performances came from Mzondo Ropafadzo, 400m finalist, the medley relay finished in fourth place, Chakonda Tawananyasha in the 110m hurdles came fourth with a remarkable performance time.
“Mafoti Ishmael, 100m boys and Darrel, 100m boys managed to pull to the finals. Another good show came from Chanakira Kylie, who finished fourth in high jump with a height 1.50m.
“The competition was very stiff considering that all the super countries in Africa were present.
“However, it was characterised by lack of qualified officials and this marred the credibility of the events and breaching of competition rules,” Nhubu said.
With less than a year to go before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, Nhubu believes some of the athletes with more work and preparations stand a good chance to be part of the event.
The African Youth Games have given most of the countries a platform to gauge and identify their athletes for the YOG to be staged on African soil for the first time since the inaugural edition in 2010, in Singapore.
