The Sunday News
Lovemore Dube
VICTORIA Falls delivered a track and field event to remember.
Almost 2 000 athletes, teachers, headmasters and parents invaded Zimbabwe’s prime resort city Victoria Falls last week for the National Association of Secondary School Heads Track and Field Championships.
The Games took part on Wednesday and Thursday with all the 10 provinces parading their best athletes selected at cluster/district and inter-district level.
The big incentive was making an impression to be selected to the Zimbabwe team to take part in the Confederation of Southern Africa Schools Sports Championships to be hosted by Zimbabwe in August.
Arthur Maphosa announced that ball games had already been scheduled for Bulawayo and that they were proceeding to ask for permission from Government to combine with track and field events.
He expressed hope that they will be given the greenlight to do so and the hosting of several countries in the City of Kings and Queens will be a big boost for tourism and city economy.
Arthur Maphosa
When the decision to have Victoria Falls as the competition hosts was announced, one of the biggest questions was where would athletes run as there is no proper athletics facility. But all those fears were allayed on Tuesday when teams arrived to find a fine standard clay soil track with clearly marked lines.
Most of Victoria Falls is sandy and that was the source of the worries and that the other alternative was running on turf at a nearby primary school but the Mosi Oa Tunya High School facility passed the test.
Roland Sibanda who happens to be the headmaster in charge of athletics in the country and is also Mosi High School boss, said they worked hard to have a great track and pits for field events.
He was full of praise for the Victoria Falls community, the Nash Matabeleland North leadership and technical team for the hard work put into preparing the venue and hosting a memorable championship.
“It was team work all the way. The Victoria Falls community assisted us a great deal and we are so grateful to everyone who put in a good shift to have us play host to such a big event that also put Victoria Falls as a tourism destination on the fore.
The teams were able to visit the Falls at reduced charges thanks to our provincial directorate,” said Sibanda.
He said the crowds and their discipline also contributed to adding colour to their hosting the event as they cheered athletes regardless of which province they were representing.
Sibanda said a seed had been planted for the city not to let the track decline. He said there were serious considerations for the setting up of a club and academy so that there are legacy gains from the hosting.
Victoria Falls Councillor Tafadzwa Mutowa, a sports enthusiast who was present in the two-day event was impressed.
“This has been a very successful and exciting competition. It has been great to see such a huge turnout of athletes and coaches invading our city. We have not disappointed as hosts and this has been incident free and it goes to show our people are starved of sporting activities. They came in their thousands to cheer athletes from all over the country,” said Mutowa.
A Victoria Falls resident Ashie Sibanda said he found the two days very exciting.
He said there was a lot of talent exhibited and what was needed was to identify, nurture it through a structured development pathway.
“We have talent for the future. More investment must be thrown into development and the best kept and developed gradually to beyond schools’ sport,” said Sibanda.
Brian Moyo, a Victoria Falls based sports consultant who was part of the volunteer local organising group, said volunteerism was key to sport development. He praised the school and the community for working tirelessly and putting the city on the sporting map.
Moyo said a legacy benefit that should not be lost is athletics rebirth in the city.
He said the games’ long lasting impact should be the establishment of an academy to retain the talent and consideration for long-term investment in infrastructure such as having the city boasting of a tartan track.
“We need an athletics track. Athletics has potential to drive sports tourism as schools sport has shown today. With a good facility we can have regular competition at national and international level. The city needs a good standard facility, for now we have to maintain the Mosi track and ensure the children from the city don’t look back after these games, we expect to see an academy formed and kids coached and exposed nationally and externally so that they inspire generations to come,” said Moyo.
Bakers Inn’s Clackson Masakwa weighed in with that sport needs sponsorship. He said where there was incentives athletes tended to perform better and he had experienced it first-hand following his company’s adoption of the Bulawayo Province athletics team.
Bulawayo looked great in their black and white tracksuits provided by Baker’s Inn and were accommodated at a hotel for the first time.
“We are glad to say we have seen a marked improved performance by Bulawayo. When there is motivation athletes can do well. It is testimony that sports need to be sponsored,” said Masakwa whose company is keen to see grassroots development of sport.
Mashonaland West were the champions of the event winning 19 gold medals, 55 silver, seven bronze.
Harare won 15 gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze with Mashonaland East third with 14 gold, 17 silver and eight bronze.
Of the Southern Region Provinces, Masvingo who finished on fourth position had 13 gold, eight silver and 14 bronze with Matabeleland South a surprise package finishing fifth with a total of nine gold, nine silver and 16 bronze.
Bulawayo were eighth with six gold, which is double of last year’s tally, six silver and eight bronze.
The host province, Matabeleland North finished ninth with five gold, 13 silver and eight bronze.
Manicaland were the tail-enders on five gold, eight silver and 10 bronze.
Selected outstanding results:
Boys’ Under-21 Ngonidzashe Kowanayi (Masvingo) long jump 6,94m, Girls’ Under-21 Polite Moyo (Matabeland South) long jump 5,30m, Boys’ Under-17 Dylane Chamakwara (Mashonaland East) long jump 6,99m, Boys’ Under-21 Charlie Gainshine (Mashonaland Central) javelin 49,98m, Boys’ Under-17 Scott Wenham (Matabeleland South) javelin 54,6m,
Boys’ Under-15 Tafadzwa Matatika (Mashonaland West) javelin 46,0m, Girls’ Under-17 Ntombezinhle Ncube (Matabeleland North) Shotput 9,36m,
Ntombikayise Sibanda (Matabeleland South) Shotput 9,36m, Girls Under-15 Tawana Ndimutsei (Harare) Shotput 10,70m,
Girls’ Under-21 Jessica Hutchings (Harare) Discus 32,41m, Boys’ Under-17 Propser Zimbago (Mashonaland West) 47,69m,
Boys’ Under-21 Benison Mangombe (Mashonaland East) 14,99m
Boys’ Under-17 Blessmore Sibanda (Matabeleland North) High jump 1,78m, Boys’ Under-17 Tinashe Mugore (Mashonaland West) 1 500m 4 minutes 05,97 seconds, Boys’ Under-21 Kelvin Bvekerwa (Mashonaland East) 800m one minute 56,79 seconds, Bright Sibanda (Matabeleland North) one minute 58,44 seconds, Boys’ Under-17 Gift Khumalo (Matabeleland North) one minute 57,93 seconds
Boys’ Under-15 Tatenda Maulidi (Harare) two minutes 02,50 seconds, Boys’ Under-21 Denzil Ngavi (Matabeleland North) 48,37 seconds, Boys Under-21 Brendon Muvimi (Mashonaland West) 200m 21,78 seconds, Boys’ Under-21 Brendon Muvimi (Mashonaland West) 100m 10,47 seconds
Trevor Tauya (Manicaland) 100m 10,48 seconds, Moses Maodzwa (Harare) 100m 10,51 seconds
