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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has stepped up preparations for the Southern Africa Youth and Junior championships set for Johannesburg, South Africa, from April 27-28.

Naaz has shortlisted 30 athletes that will represent the country at the regional meet. The team is camped at Northlea High School in Bulawayo and has been training at White City Stadium ahead of departure tomorrow.

Naaz wants the athletes to aim for qualifying times for the IAAF World Under-20 championships, which will take place in Finland in July.

Kundai Maguranyanga and Tinotenda Matiyenga, who are both based in the United States, met the qualifying times in the 100m, while Simbarashe Maketa made the grade in the 200m event.

The team’s technical head Brian Nhubu said he was happy with the team’s preparations.

“We started our camp on Saturday and the response from our athletes has been very impressive. We have picked most of the high performance athletes, the outstanding juniors and youths. We have used quite a number of competitions to pick the athletes. We are confident that our team will put in strong performances,” said Nhubu.

Medal hopefuls include Vimbai Maisvoreva, who came sixth in the 800m at the IAAF World Under-18 Championships in Kenya last year. She will compete in the 400m and 800m events.

Maisvoreva will be joined by her teammates from last year’s Under-18 championships team, which includes sprinter Donovan Mutariswa, 800m and 1 500m runner Arage Mutombo and Masciline Watama (100m and 4x100m).

Mutariswa was also part of the 4x100m boys’ relay team that scooped gold at the African Junior Championships last year. The team included Maguranyanga, Matiyenga and Dickson Kapandura.

Nhubu said apart from focusing on qualification for Finland, they are also using the event to gauge their readiness for the African Youth Games in Algeria in July.
Team Zimbabwe
Junior Girls: Arage Mutombo (800m/1500m), Sinikiwe Seremwe (3 000m or 5 000m), Vimbai Maisvoreva (400m, 800m).

Junior Boys: Mkhokeli Sibanda (800m), Dickson Kapandura (100m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Panashe Sunguro (200m, 4x100m),Bahlebonke Ncube (200m, 4x100m), Norman Mukwada (400m, 4x400m, 4x100m), Munashe Murefu (400m, 4x400m), Blessing Nyandoro (400m), Leon Tafirenyika (100m, 400m, 4x100m, 4x400m), Kenias Mabone (800m), Denis Gono (5 000m/10 000m), James Mtenje (javelin), Takunda Kanchi (triple jump), Kumbirai Ndoworwi (110m hurdles), Tatenda Zingwina (110m hurdles).

Youth Girls: Masciline Watama (100m, 4x100m), Dorothy Kavhumbura (200m, triple jump, 4x100m), Mazviita Musakwa (100m, 4x100m), Chanel Yosa (200m, 4x100m), Vanessah Matimbe (400m, 800m, 4x100m), Privilege Chikara (1 500m), Elizabeth Ndlovu (1 500m), Langathani Dube (3 000m).

Youth Boys: Donovan Mutariswa (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Makanakaishe Charamba (200m, 4x100m), Tswana Yosa (100m, 4x100m), Joel Gray (shot put, discus), Brian Ndlovu (high jump, 4x100m)