Athletes clock good times at Youth Games

ALL-AFRICA Games bronze medallist Gabriel Chikomo has described the level of athletics competition at the ongoing Zimbabwe National Youth Games as highly impressive, with athletes clocking good times and jumps.

Athletics is being held at the Colliery Stadium, which has a cinder track that is slow, but the 2007 4x400m All-Africa Games bronze medallist Chikomo said the times clocked were quite encouraging and with proper professional training, the athletes can do even better.

“Look, it’s really impressive so far and it shows we have medal hopefuls as a country in regional and international competitions.

“We only need to perfect the training of these athletes,” said Chikomo in an interview at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.

He said the fact that an electronic timing system is used speaks volumes of the authenticity of the times clocked and times of sub one minute 55 seconds in the 800m race were a good sign.

Dickson Kapandura of Matabeleland North clocked 10.85 seconds in the men’s Under-23 100m dash.

“This is a cinder track and I can only just imagine if such an athlete could exhibit the same form on a tartan track,” said Chikomo, who also holds the Chamber of Mines 200m record.

Kapandura clinched the host province’s first athletics gold medal on Monday, with the second gold medal coming in the Under-18 boys’ 100m when Motive Ncube clocked 11.19 seconds. Bulawayo’s Calvin Dube clocked 10.98 seconds to settle for silver in the Under-23 men’s 100m, relegating Masvingo’s Witness Makovere, who clocked a flat 11 seconds to third spot.

Dorothy Kavundura gave Midlands their first gold medal when she crossed the finishing line in 12.87 seconds in the girls’ Under-18 100m, with Perseverance Hadebe of Matabeleland South coming second in 13.17seconds.

Debutant province in the games, Zitisu clinched a gold medal in the Under-23 women’ long jump when Clara Mugani leaped 4.50m to relegate Milanda Mathe of Bulawayo’s 4.47m jump to second place.

Despite good performances by athletes on the track and field, the event’s major dent was the unavailability of a public address system at the venue, which made life difficult for officials and athletes.

It was not immediately clear why there was no PA system at games of this magnitude when companies like Hwange Colliery Company poured in $15 000 for refurbishment of venues.

This was announced by Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane at the official launch of this year’s Youth Camp on Monday in the mining town.

Hlongwane requested Hwange Colliery Company managing director Thomas Makore to stand up so he could personally thank him for the gesture.

The unavailability of the public address system comes despite numerous reminders to the games’ technical directors by Hlongwane.

“If we fail to pay attention to detail, we usually find ourselves in a very embarrassing situation at the time of need and I want to urge you not to fall into that,” Hlongwane told the technical directors ahead of the games.