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THE 17-year old-Yvonne Vhanuvaone of Townsend High School was the toast of the day at the two-day National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe inter-provincial track and field championships.Vhanuvaone came out tops in the senior women 400m event with a time of 57,03 seconds.
The country’s top athletes battled it out yesterday at the inter-provincial NAAZ championships, which started yesterday at the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo.
Yesterday’s event saw junior and senior athletes competing in eight disciplines namely long and high jump, 3 000m, 400m, javeline, 100m, shot put, 5 000m and 4x100m .
Organisers managed to secure an electronic timer and a wind gauge courtesy of Botswana who were also represented by 18 athletes, for accurate timing of athletes’ performance as the country ups preparations for the upcoming World Junior Championships and African Senior Championships which are penciled for Morocco later this year.
Among the top drawer athletes present at the championships was sprinter Marvin Bonde who managed to secure a spot in today’s senior men 100m finals after winning one of the heats with a below standard time of 11,05 seconds.
The last day of the national event (today) will see athletes compete in the remaining disciplines, which include all the relays, 400m men finals, 200m, 800m finals and the 100m finals.
Bhekizulu Khumalo, a former athletics coach said the new development of electronic timing was a welcome scenario as it gave the selectors accurate information when selecting the best athletes for the national team.
“Electronic timing is the pre-requisite timing for athletics around the world though hand timing is used but this one eliminates the element of fatigue as the day progresses,” he said.
Khumalo said he was impressed by the level of competition in all 100m events and hopes today’s finals will be more exciting.
The visiting athletes had a good showing with two under-20 boys, Baboloki Thebe and Thabiso Sekgobimanaging securing spots in the 100m finals this morning.
Online Reporter