Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga in ST PIERRE, Mauritius
Southern African Confederation of Athletics Under-18 and Under-20 Championships get underway this afternoon at the Cote d’Or National Sports Complex in Mauritius with team Zimbabwe members eager to deliver.
The goal for most of them is making the entry standards for the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in August, in the United States.
The track and field competition will see athletes drawn from 11 countries taking part today and tomorrow.
Zimbabwe have a 22-member team of both youth and junior athletes.
And some of their top athletes include junior men sprinters Trey Chimunya (100m and 200m), Emmanuel Uriga (400m) and Nenyasha Chihora.
Hayley Chingono, Anesu Nyahuma and Shalom Sendi take the lead in the junior women.
Chihora, who is the team captain said they will be out to give their best.
“The team has been preparing. Everyone is here and they are hoping to qualify for the World Junior Championships and they are also promising to bring medals home.
“That’s what the team has been saying and I think they are ready for the competition,” said Chihora.
Chihora is up for 400m in the Under-20 men.
“I have been trying to qualify for the World Junior Championships and also coming here I have had a lot of injuries but now I think I am fit for the race and I am going to qualify for the World Juniors.
“The way I am feeling, I think I am going to run a good time in the semi-finals. Probably I am going to qualify for the finals and I am going to get a medal in the final.”
National Under-20, 100m title holder Chimunya said;” My build-up has been on point, everything is good . . . I have no injuries right now, so everything is good.
“For 100m I am targeting something like a 10.3 or something below, then for the 200m something like a 20.6.
“I am also targeting to qualify for the World Junior Championships in Oregon, in August this year. I am chasing (times) for both 100m and 200m,” said Chimunya.
Nyahuma and Chingono are among the junior women that have graced regional and continental junior competitions before.
They would want to build on the past experiences as well.
Nyahuma was at the Africa Senior Championships last month in Ghana.
“I have been working for this championship.
“Tomorrow I will be running 400m and I will be looking forward to qualify for the Junior Championships, so I am going to do my best to try to qualify,” said Nyahuma.
The 100m and 200m events take off with the heats. The first three from the two heats and the two fastest times progress to the final.
It is the same for the Under-20 men’s 400m while the rest of the events will be straight finals.
On the other hand, as she steps onto the track today, Chingono is more focused on improving her times in both 100m and 200m.
“I think we have all trained the same honestly. All of us trained to our fullest potential. It’s not much to compare, the track will speak for itself.
“We look forward to tomorrow, so we can actually see where each one of us are and who is the best in Southern Region,” said Chingono.
Zimbabwe’s coach Aaron Whyte is optimistic of the qualifications.
“I wouldn’t want to make any predictions, giving names, but all the kids that we have here, who are chasing qualification, they have got a chance to qualify, because they are so close.”
