The Sunday News
Sports Reporters
THE final qualifiers for the Coca-Cola Four Minute Challenge take place at White City Stadium in Bulawayo today during the Bulawayo Athletics Board track and field event.
Dailes Bingadadi, the BAB secretary-general said an opportunity will be afforded to those wishing to compete in the challenge in the last of the qualifiers today. Bingadadi disclosed that so far 24 runners had qualified, four of them having done so last Sunday in Bulawayo. These were Trust Chidomaya, Isaac Mpofu, Ngonidzashe Ncube and John Payarira.
Semi-finals have been brought back for the challenge with these to be conducted at Gifford High School on Friday where a field of 13 athletes will make it through to the final race at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair main arena on Saturday. On how the last 13 will be arrived at, Bingadadi explained the fastest runners are going to make the cut.
“We are having the final Coca-Cola Four Minute Mile qualifiers at White City on Sunday during the Bulawayo Athletics Board track and field competitions. So far we have 24 athletes who have qualified, we have decided to reintroduce the semi-finals because we want the best to compete in the final, we have realised that having more runners does not improve the quality of the race,’’ said Bingadadi.
Wellington Varevi of Blanket Mine then aged 20 won last year’s challenge in four minutes 17 seconds while seasoned runner Wirimai Juwawo of Shabanie Mine took second place in a time of four minutes 18 seconds.
Varevi pocketed $800 with $400 going the way of Juwawo. Monetary prizes are given to the first 10 runners and the rewards remain the same as for last year.
Sponsored by the world’s largest beverage company Coca-Cola, the race is one of the major attractions at the ZITF main arena on the last day of the trade showcase.
Meanwhile, the BAB track and field presents local athletes with an opportunity to be seen by the national selectors. Bingadadi said an invitation has been extended to schools, clubs and universities to send their competitors to participate.
“This event presents the athletes a chance to be seen by the national team selectors, the clubs to measure the strength of their athletes. We had the same competitions in March which were disrupted by heavy rains, people had come out in their numbers, we are hoping for the same turnout this time around,’’ Bingadadi said.
With the world class electronic time system to be used, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe could take advantage to choose locally based athletes for the World Championships in Beijing, China in August, World Youth Championships in Colombia in July, and the All Africa Games in Congo-Brazzaville in September.
Today’s event will also feature Lesotho-bound Team Zimbabwe athletes ahead d of the Cossasa games which will be played in Maseru.
