Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Hwange
HWANGE-based athletics legend, Themba Ncube, has hailed the Government for reversing a decision to move the National Youth Games’ athletics competition to Bulawayo.

Some Ministry of Sport and Recreation officials had condemned the Colliery Stadium track as substandard and suggested that the games’ athletics event be moved to White City Stadium, which is one of only two tracks with a tartan track in the country.

Moving athletics to White City Stadium would have virtually meant Matabeleland North was going to play a supporting role to Bulawayo, as track and field events are the backbone of the Youth Games.

“I am extremely grateful for the reversal of the decision and know that these sentiments are shared by a lot of my former colleagues on the track and the generality of the people of Hwange. We were shocked when news filtered through that this track will no longer be hosting the Youth Games’ athletics.

Athletics is more of a religion in this part of the country and I can assure you the stadium will be filled to capacity,” said Ncube at the Colliery Stadium yesterday.

Ncube together with other former athletes Teurai Chinguwo and Phathisa Ngwabi were working on the final touches of the track in preparation for the games that start on Monday.

Ncube, who started training on the Colliery Stadium track from his primary school days up to the time he represented the country, said the Colliery track’s cinder track was the best in the country and had produced great times as well.

In 1996, Ncube represented Zimbabwe at the World Junior Championships in Sydney, Australia, training at the Colliery track. He also represented the country in the 1999 All-Africa Games in South Africa. Ncube and his Hwange Athletics Club mates Phillip Mukomana and Savieri Ngidi represented Zimbabwe in the World Championships in Spain.

“In 2003, I was also part of Team Zimbabwe to the All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria, where we won bronze medal together with Talkmore Nyongani, Jeffrey Wilson and Crispen Mutakanyi in the 4X400m relay. That feat saw us representing Africa in the Afro-Asia Games in India where we again won bronze and all along I was training on this very track (Colliery Stadium),” said Ncube.

He said he appreciated tartan tracks were the way to go for athletics and appealed to the government to build at least one such track in each province.

“Our neighbouring countries South Africa, Botswana and Zambia are making strides along those lines and it’s high time we followed suit,” Ncube said.