The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
EFFECTS of inactivity on the part of athletes was evident at the Commissioner-General of Police (CGP) 21km Road Race held yesterday with runners posting poor times.
The race was the first to be held in Bulawayo in more than one and a half years following cancellation of races due to Covid-19 restrictions. Bulawayo Athletic Board chairman, Watson Madanyika said the times were evidence that runners were yet to get to their best and they would need more races to attain pre-Covid-19 fitness.
ZRP’s Olivia Chitate won the women’s open 21km race reaching the finish line in one hour 16.57 minutes while in the men’s category it was Moses Tarakinyu of Black Rhinos who came first in one hour 04.42. Madanyika said they were hoping there would be more races throughout the year to ensure athletes improve.
“Some athletes are aiming at qualifying for the Olympics while others are targeting the Africa Senior Championships and African Southern Region Championships. With more races I think they will get better and improve on times enhancing their chances of qualifying for these events,” he said.
Over 270 athletes registered for the race. ZRP Commissioner-General, Godwin Matanga said they had resolved to take the CGP to other towns around the country and began by bringing the 10th edition to Bulawayo as all the other previous editions had been held in Harare. He thanked the Ministry of Sports for allowing this year’s race to go ahead adding that last year they did not host the race due to due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Olivia Chitate
“As ZRP we want to contribute to society wellness through activities such as the 21km road race. Science has proved time and again that sport has countless benefits, it also teaches us a lot of lessons that include team work and resilience at individual and organizational level. We are committed to continue holding the race every year. Also beginning this year, we have taken a deliberate stance to also hold this event in different towns and this will afford our different clients an opportunity to enjoy sport while at the same time getting the opportunity to interact with their beloved police officers. We hope to foster and strengthen social cohesion and alliances through such events in order to be better positioned in the fight against crime,” he said.
The event was sponsored by Old Mutual with $1 million going towards prizes. The first three athletes walked away with $30 000, $27 000 and $24 000 respectively. Misheck Sithole (1.05.03) of Nedbank came second in the men’s open category with ZRP’s Isaac Mpofu third a second later. In the women’s section, Powerhouse’s Rudo Mhondera was second in one hour 16.51 minutes while ZRP’s Tryphine Picardo was third (1.19.22).
