Zim athletes off to China

Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE has sent a team of two athletes and one official to the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships to be held in Guiyang, China on Saturday. Jacob Mugomeri and Olivia Chitate who are accompanied by team manager Cynthia Phiri left for China yesterday to represent the country at the World Cross-Country Championships.

National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president, Tendai Tagara, said they selected Chitate and Mugomeri because they had excelled in the regional competition held in Malawi last month.

“We chose the two athletes to represent the nation in China because they represented the country well in Malawi in the regional cross-country competition,” said Tagara.

Tagara said the athletes should fight to finish in the top 20 position of the race.

“Both athletes must try to either win or finish in the top 20 position of the competition which will automatically qualify them for the African Championships and the 10,000M World Championships,” he said.

Tagara said he is confident that the athletes will do the country proud and qualify for the African Championships and the 10, 000 metres at the World Championships.

“We sent two of the best athletes in the category to represent us, so I’m confident they will do us proud and qualify to participate in the African Championships in Congo-Brazzaville and the World Championships,” said Tagara.

According to the IAAF website, the final entry figures confirm that this year’s championships will be bigger than the past three editions with an expected 447 athletes from 51 countries.