Harare ready for National Champs
HARARE Province coach Collen Makaza is convinced they will dominate the National Cross-country Championships in Bulawayo this weekend after naming a fairly strong team featuring some of the top athletes in the country.
The meet pencilled for Sunday will see the country’s 10 provinces battling it out in the seniors and juniors categories. Senior men and women will take part in a 10km race while junior men and women compete in the 8km and 6km respectively.
Makaza said they are pinning their hopes on senior athletes such as Elijah Mabhunu, Canisious Nyamutsita, who is the PPC 21km race reigning champion and Patience Murove.
“This is the final team and the selection was based on their times and positions at the provincial select event. As a coach I think this is the best team ever.
“I know Canisious (Nyamutsita) and Patience (Murove) are focusing on qualification for the World Championships. And I know all the guys want to do well at the championships,” said Makaza.
The winners at the national meet qualify to represent the country at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on March 26 in Kampala, Uganda.
Makaza is, however, concerned with the juniors as he feels they need to up their game.
“We have been also working on motivating the juniors. They can also qualify for the World Championships, so I have been urging them to take this competition seriously.
“However, for the junior girls there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve their standards. We need to score points in Bulawayo and to do that we need a full team, so we are urging them to do their best,” said Makaza.
In the past two years Zimbabwe has been fielding only senior athletes at the World Championships but, National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president, Tendai Tagara, said they will be sending juniors as well this year.
“We are working to ensure we send both seniors and juniors for the World Championships this time around. For the past two years we have been sending seniors but because of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics we believe the juniors are the foundation.
“So I am saying there is a ticket for junior men and junior women. We are running around to get other sponsors to see if we can send more athletes but we are guaranteed that the top athletes from the juniors and seniors are going to the World Championships,” said Tagara.
Sunday’s event will for the first time include mixed relay teams and they will take part in the 8km race.
This is an initiative by the International Association of Athletics Federations to encourage more participation in athletics.
There will also be 2.5km for cadets.
Harare province final team
Senior Men: Canisious Nyamutsita, Tendai Zimuto, Wellington Varevi, Munyaradzi Jari, Elijah Mabhunu, Ishmael Matemba.
Senior Women: Patience Murove, Bertha Chikanga, Rudo Mhonderwa, Pamela Chibvongodze, Precious Makaza, Rongina Ngandu.
Junior Boys: Lazarus Mhlanga, Solomon Bhobho, Kelvin Nyawasha, Kelvin Chiku, Anesu Jonasi, Wellington Madzinga.
Junior Girls: Ethel Muganhiri, Primrose Chivambe, Praise Kepekepe, Sharon Banda, Memory Gwatipedza, Providence Madhlangobe.