The Sunday News
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe has announced a 10-member team which will represent the country at the Southern Region Senior Championship in Mauritius that will run from Thursday to Sunday.
The team, that comprises eight sprinters and two middle distance runners will depart for the Games on Wednesday.
Initially the Championships were set for last month but had to be rescheduled so as to pave way for some Southern African countries to hold their respective national championships.
Team Zimbabwe were selected following the inter-provincial championships staged at White City Stadium last Sunday which saw all athletes from the country’s 10 provinces battling it out for supremacy.
NAAZ president Tendai Tagara said that all the selected athletes would also be part of the team that will represent the country at the Africa Games which are earmarked for Brazzaville, Congo in September.
“The same team will also represent the nation later this year at the All-Africa Games,” said Tagara.
Olivia Chitate is the only athlete from the Zimbabwe Republic Police who made the grade; she is also part of the national team for the Southern Africa Police Chiefs Organisation games which are slated for September in South Africa.
Also included in the team is the South Africa-based trio of Rodwell Ndlovu, Francis Zimwara and Shingirai Hlanguyo.
The three scooped gold, silver and bronze medals respectively at the inter-provincial in the senior men 100m event.
The team will be coached by Emmanuel Mpofu.
Tagara was also confident that the selected crop of athletes will raise the Zimbabwe flag high considering their individual performances at White City last weekend.
“Medals are a definite expectation considering the performances they staged in last week’s competition, we are expecting something better this time round,” said Tagara.
About 14 Southern African countries are set to participate at the Games with over 200 athletes expected to fight for honours in the regional track and field competition for seniors.
Before the curtain comes down on the NAAZ athletics calendar only two international competitions remain. These are the IAAF World Youth in Colombia from 15 July to 19 July and the World athletics Championships set for China from 22 to 30 August respectively.
Team Zimbabwe
Kenneth Chibwana, Trust Chidomaya, Shingirai Hlanguyo, Francis Ziwara, Rodwell Ndlovu, Olivia Chitate, Patience Ngwenya, Tsitsi Mahachi, Lesley Mabhena, David Tinago.
