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Ngqabutho Moyo Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO failed to assemble a team to compete at last weekend’s National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe’s Cross-Country Championships in Kadoma, a development that got the local athletics board worried.The race was a selection event for the Southern Region Cross Country Championships set for Malawi on Saturday and the World Cross Country championships set for China in April.

Emmanuel Mpofu, of the Bulawayo Athletics Board bemoaned lack of senior women in athletics and said they even shunned the local cross country qualifiers which were held at Nketa Park in Mpopoma last month and Luveve High School in Luveve a fortnight ago.

“It was always going to be a miracle to have a senior women’s team because we didn’t have any competitors in that category when we had our own selection events as Bulawayo. It’s really a cause for concern because over the years Bulawayo has had some promising women in athletics but they just disappeared into thin air. We want to help them build their careers but it’s hard if they don’t attend our provincial competitions,” said Mpofu.

He noted that feminine talent in Bulawayo is lost once athletes complete their secondary education and challenged clubs to have programmes that will ensure that women are kept in sport.

“The problem of female athletes disappearing once they reach senior age groups has always been there and we’re working on means to monitor and encourage women to take athletics seriously. We’ve recently started a programme that we will use to track and keep our athletes in sport. It needs collective effort and we must encourage our children to take athletics seriously because they can earn an honest living through sport,” he said.

Mpofu said the problem was not only affecting Bulawayo as most provinces are faced with a similar challenge too.

Meanwhile, a 24-member squad was selected for the Malawi trip and will depart for that country on Thursday.

Zimbabwe’s squad to Malawi

Senior men: M Jari, T Zimuto, G Mutandiro (all Harare), J Mugomeri (Mashonaland West), N Sibanda (Matabeleland South), B Whyson (Manicaland).
Senior women: O Chitate, C Nyasango, P Murove, T Cardo, M Ncube (all Harare), C Mhandu (Manicaland)
Junior men: C Hwenjere (Mashonaland East), H Ngwenya (Bulawayo), T Nyathi (Mashonaland Central), B Ndlovu (Bulawayo).
Junior women: E Ncube, A Bungu (both Mashonaland Central), T Madzivire (Mashonaland West), M Pfumbidza (Manicaland).