Phakamile challenges coaches, athletes

NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe director for coaching, talent identification and development Lisimati Phakamile has challenged coaches and athletes to raise their standards when competition gets into full swing early next month.

The first national track and field event is slated for January 6 at the National Sports Stadium B Arena.

Zimbabwe are looking at competing at several major international events next year including the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, the Confederation of African Athletics Under-18 and the Under20 Championships in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

“We, as an association, want to take 2019 to be a special year for us. We want to take 2019 to be a very fruitful year amid or against all the challenges that are coming up.

“We want to stay focused and stay afloat and make sure that as an association we keep moving forward and help the youth and the juniors to perform and to make a living through the sport of athletics.

“We are also looking at hosting a big number of competitions this time around and also looking at the quality of our organisation as an association. We are also looking at the quality of performance as coaches through the athletes. We expect it to greatly improve and make a difference in the country and in the sport industry as a whole,” said Phakamile.

Although athletics has done quite well in regional events, with their juniors who were part of Team Zimbabwe at the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games in Botswana contributing several medals to the team’s 51 medal haul, Phakamile said they need to carry such performances to international events.

The national association had this year hoped they could turn their fortunes when they participated at the Africa Senior Championships in Asaba, Nigeria.

But it was a case of so near yet so far as some of the athletes reached the finals in their respective events but could not get any medals.

The likes of Harare-based sprinter Ngoni Makusha reached the 100m final where he finished sixth while Tatenda Tsumba was fourth in the 200m final. It was the same story for the 4x100m relay team that also finished fourth in the final.

Phakamile said they are hoping to build on such efforts and push their athletes to podium performances.

“We have always performed exceptionally well in our region and again the disappointment comes when we are looking at the continental stage and international platform.

“I think as an association, looking at the year 2019, it is important now for us to focus on converting the medals that we get at the regional stage to medals and podium performances (at international events) in the coming 2019 season,” said Phakamile.

Zimbabwe had five junior athletes at the IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Finland and also one athlete managed to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games held in Argentina.

The national association is looking at getting their programme into full swing next week with their track and field competition in Harare.

The meet is targeting mainly cadets, youth and juniors with national team coaches set to start selection for the Under-18 and Under-20 Championships in April.