Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
THE three Matabeleland provinces completed their selection processes for this year’s National Association of Secondary School Heads Track and Field Championships to be held in Harare at the end of the month.
Bulawayo schools gathered at White City Stadium on Wednesday and Thursday as they battled for inter-district supremacy. Winners of the individual events on the track and field qualified for the national championships to bring together the 10 provinces.
Mzilikazi District schools topped the medals standings after collecting 40 gold medals, 35 silver 24 bronze for a total of 99 medals.
Second spot went to Khami District who posted 27 gold, 22 silver and 25 bronze.
Third were pre-event favourites Reigate with 18 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze with Bulawayo Central amassing just eight gold as many silver and bronze and Imbizo four first positions, eight seconds spots and 13 thirds.
Cain Ncube the Bulawayo athletics head in charge described the event as exciting and quite competitive.
“We have a decent squad to do well. We are looking at doing better than the past,” said Ncube of his team.
Bulawayo Province has been a basement team alongside Matabeleland North.
Last year Ncube and his colleagues felt their athletes were not getting enough competitions and started a series whose first event was held in December last year so that the pupils stay field and track fit.
A numver of their athletes have taken part in other events as well to help sharpen the rough edges ahead of what promises to be thrilling finals.
Matabeleland North NASH boss Sicelo Dube said they would like to pin their hopes on about 10 athletes to bring gold.
“We have been improving, getting quality medals in recent times,” said Dube, the Tsholotsho High School headmaster.
Hwange were the best performers of the Matabeleland North Championships after scooping 22 first positions, 15 seconds and 13 thirds.
Lupane were second with 21 gold, 14 silver and 15 bronze while the hosts Bubi came third overall with 16 gold, 18 silver and 19 bronze.
Tsholotsho finished fourth, Umguza fifth, Binga sixth and Nkayi seventh.
They will pin their hopes on athletes like 5 000m champion Tulange Mudenda.
Mangwe district which has schools like Phakamani, Plumtree, Embakwe, St Francis, Empandeni and Khalanyoni had enough firepower in their armory before the Manama held Matabeleland South track and field championships on Thursday and Friday.
Parents and supporters hired four mini buses (Sprinters) to cheer the kids. So passionate are the parents that they even constructed a shed at Plumtree High School for the district finals and made sure their kids were hydrated by contributing bottled water.
Mangwe were 32 gold medal collectors adding 20 silver and 10 bronze.
Their neighbours who have schools like Madlambudzi, Dombodema and Thekwane, Bulilima were second after their athletes were first 19 times, second on 14 occasions and as many third place finishes.
Matobo, who are set to benefit from a new central and standard size track at Maphisa after Independence Celebrations were third, Beitbridge fourth, Gwanda North fifth, Insiza sixth, Gwanda South seventh and Umzingwane eighth.
It was a bad competition for Umzingwane whose Mzingwane High School used to be the backbone of the province in athletics.
Matabeleland South has been a fifth to seventh best performing province in most recent competitions.
