Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira – [email protected]
TWO more athletes have qualified for the next stage of the ZITF Four Minute Mile Challenge, making the total number of qualified athletes to 12.
In the Independence Day qualifier held at White City Stadium on Tuesday, Thabo Mapfumo from McLee Club in Harare and Denford Mlilo from Zimparks were the latest additions to the list of qualified athletes.
Mapfumo crossed the finish line in four minutes 28 seconds while Mlilo did so in four minutes 29 seconds. It was sad for Takudzwa Chidziva who made it in four minutes, 31. 45 seconds. The pre-requisuite time for one to qualify to the next stage is 4 minutes 31 seconds.
Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson Watson Madanyika said they were looking forward to the next qualifier which will be held in Bindura tomorrow.
“On April 22 we take the qualifiers to Bindura. We expect a good field of athletes as we wrap up our qualifiers. We will only have semifinals if we have more than 20 athletes progressing from the first stage of qualifiers,” said Madanyika.
Other athletes who have qualified include Munyaradzi Zizhou and Mthokozisi Mhlanga, both from Blanket Mine who were the first to qualify. The other athletes qualified from an event in Harare, Nyasha Mutsetse managed a time of four minutes, 20 seconds while Levison Mapfuwa finished in four minutes, 21 seconds. Nomore Wiriki had a time of four minutes, 23 seconds with Trust Hove crossing the line after four minutes, 24 seconds. Godwin Katakura was not far behind with a time of four minutes 25 seconds.
The Black Rhinos duo of Munashe Mundure and Bornface Jeki ended the list of those that made it to the semi-finals with the times of four minutes 27 seconds and four minutes 30 seconds respectively.
The race is sponsored by Coca-Cola and its bottling partners in Zimbabwe, Delta Beverages. – @innocentskizoe.
Sidumisile Mabena