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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sport Reporter
RENOWNED athletics coach and sports scientist Bhekizulu Khumalo has urged athletes to join sport clubs to enhance their skills.

Khumalo, a sports science lecturer at the National University of Science and Technology, said this on the sidelines of the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) Mzilikazi district inter-schools track and field event at Nust grounds yesterday.

“Schools must recommend their athletes to join clubs or even form athletics clubs within their schools so that athletes can compete throughout the year.

We are always available to assist them or attach coaches to these schools. I have always said to teachers or school heads that for every sport that you have within a learning institution, there is a coach just outside your fence; you just have to open up. There are good coaches always willing to develop talent, but schools tend to shut them out,” said Khumalo.

He described the level of competition exhibited in the meet yesterday as fine, but expressed concern at the gap between athletes attached to clubs and those that are not.

“The competition is fine, but one worries over the gap between athletes not attached to clubs and those that belong to clubs. I have witnessed the 400m event and clearly saw outstanding athletes I personally know because most of them run for clubs outside schools as compared to those that don’t have clubs. The gap is just too wide,” he said.

In some of yesterday’s events, Brotherton Hlambalo of Mpopoma High School came first in the boys’ 15 years and under 3 000m event in a time of nine minutes 40 seconds, while Malcolm Nyathi from Magwegwe was second in 10 minutes 01 second and Msiteli’s Costa Gumbo settled for third in 10 minutes 28 seconds.

However, Khumalo felt the times were slow compared to expected national levels.

“If you remember very well, I once coached one of the top athletes in this country Xolani Nkiwane, a young man who dominated cross country, and at this age, he was running this 3 000m in about eight minutes 30 seconds. These are the times you are going to get in national competitions; people running below nine minutes.”

Nomalanga Mpofu of Njube High School took gold in the girls’ 20 years and under 5 000m race in 21 minutes 26 seconds, relegating Sisasenkosi Maposa of Magwegwe and Trish Chiunze of Msiteli into second and third places respectively. Maposa clocked 22 minutes 18 seconds, while Chiunze was 17 seconds slower.

Mpopoma’s Nicole Moyo took gold in the girls’ 17 years and under 3 000m in 12 minutes 20 seconds and second position went to Mavis Kwiyo of Lobengula, who clocked 12 minutes 41 seconds, while Ihlathi’s Tendai Masvosve settled for bronze in 13 minutes.

The two-day event ends today and the district Nash chairperson Lymias Moyo, who is the headmaster of Mandwandwe High School, was confident they will come up with a strong team to compete in the inter-district competition at White City Stadium in two weeks’ time.

“We are the largest of the five districts in Bulawayo with 10 schools and that must give us an edge over our rivals,” said Moyo.

Mandwandwe, Nkulumane, Ihlathi, Sizane, Magwegwe, Sikhulile, Lobengula, Msiteli, Njube and Mpopoma High schools make up Mzilikazi district.— @skhumoyo2000