Zimpapers Logo

Manuel Mpofu

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO Athletics Board (Bab) has challenged independent athletes that harbour Olympic dreams to register for this weekend’s National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) Inter-Provincial Championships set for White City Stadium.

The Naaz competition is a qualification race for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics and World Junior Championships.

Bab chairman Manuel Mpofu said as the host province, they were ready for the qualifiers, which offer locals an opportunity to qualify for the international races.

He said the country’s 10 provinces plus Botswana and Zambia have confirmed that they would be sending teams for track events and are all expected to be in Bulawayo by midday on Saturday.

Mpofu said the first competition is set for 3PM.

“This is a first for our athletes and we’re encouraging those not affiliated to clubs to come if they feel they have what it takes to run the qualification times. You never know, there might be real gems out there and as the athletics’ board we’re saying come and try your luck, you may run the qualification time for the Olympics or World Junior Championships,” Mpofu said.

The World Junior Championships will be held from July 19-24 in Kazan, Russia, while the Olympics run from August 5-21 in Brazil.
Qualification times for the World Junior Championships track events for men are as follows: 100M – 10.55 seconds, 200M – 21.35s, 400M – 47.70s, 800M – 1 min 49.50s and 1,500M – 3 min 48s.

For women, the times are 100M – 11.80s, 200M – 24.20s, 800M – 2 min 09.20s, 1,500M – 4 min 28.20s.

Only athletes aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 years on December 31, 2016, born in 1997, 1998, 1999 or 2000 may compete at the World Junior Championships.

Women’s entry standards for the Olympics are 11.32s for 100M, 23.20s for 200M, 52.00s for 400M and 2 min 01.00s for 800M.

The men’s qualification times are, 10.16s for 100M, 20.50s for 200M, 45.40s for 400M and 1 min 45.80s for 800M.

Zimbabwe were given the right to have the Naaz championships as Olympics and World Junior Championships qualifiers because White City Stadium meets the standards required to hold such races.

The facility got a major facelift ahead of the 2014 Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that saw a tartan track and electronic timers being installed at the venue.