Nyasango to lead Zim at Marathon World Champs

SEASONED long-distance runner Cuthbert Nyasango will lead Zimbabwe’s marathon team at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London from August 4 to 13.

The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe on Monday announced a five-member team with a full men’s team of three of Nyasango, United States-based Pardon Ndhlovu and Milan Matende of Black Rhinos Athletics Club.

Rutendo Nyahora and Fortunate Chidzivo will represent the country in the women’s section.

NAAZ president, Tendai Tagara, said they are now working on mobilising resources to assist the five with their preparations.

“We announced the team early so that they can now focus on London. Whatever events they will be competing in they now know they have to start focusing on their preparations. We are now trying to assist them with the preparations and we want to make sure we assist the coaches with transport for their long-distance trainings. So the few resources that we have, we are channelling them towards that.

“We are in the process of hunting for partners to look at their nutrition and kit.

“We are also trying to apply for the athletes visas early as we had problems in getting them (visas) for the World Half-marathon event,” said Tagara.

Nyasango comes in as the most experienced among the five athletes having been to the 2011 and 2015 World Championships.

He has been to the Olympics twice while Ndhlovu and Nyahora made their maiden appearance at the Games last year.

For Matende and Chidzivo it will be a new experience.

“We are trying to strike a balance of experience and the future that is 2020 (Olympics). For the other girl (Chidzivo) and Matende we are looking at 2020 Olympics,” Tagara said.

Chidzivo, who is also a boxer, qualified for the championships at the Cape Town marathon last November.

She has been training in Ethiopia, China and Malaysia for the past three month and came back last Wednesday.

“I came back on Wednesday. I had great experience like in China I was running with the Kenyans and Ethiopians. At first it was tough I could not even manage the top 10 but as time went on started making it into the top three and in Malaysia I won about two races, a 12km and 10km.

“So it really pushed me and I now believe in myself because I competed with some of the best,” said Chidzivo.

The local athletics mother-body is now hoping they have some athletes making the grade for track and field events between now and July.