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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

PRIMARY and Secondary Schools’ heads in charge of athletics in Matabeleland North province will today meet at Umguza education offices boardroom as part of their preparations for the provincial athletics finals that will be held at Mosi oa Tunya next month.

The meeting, set to be attended by the provincial National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) chairman Pelekelo Mathe and his deputy Sicelo Dube, will be chaired by the provincial head in charge of athletics Cain Ncube.

Also set to be in attendance is the provincial National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) secretary Nelson Masukume.

“We expect to get feedback from the head in charge administration on database as agreed upon in our inaugural meeting. 

“We also want to have a proper tracking system for our medal hopeful athletes as well as having a look at our coaches and their areas of specialisation. 

“All this is part of our preparations for both the Mosi oa Tunya track and field tour which is this Friday and our provincial competitions next month,” said Ncube.

Ncube revealed that they have already contacted some technical partners for today’s meeting which include Rainview Investments, Bookrite as well as Bighouse Investments.

The tour of the hosting venue was postponed last Friday due to an urgent meeting of the Naph and Nash standing committee in Gweru.

“We had to postpone the tour after we were called to Gweru for an important meeting. We agreed that we reschedule the tour to this coming Friday,” said Mathe.

The major purpose of the visit is to place the checklist against the work of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) in the preparation of tracks, fields, catering facilities and accommodation among some areas.

“Part of the itinerary for the delegation is to meet major stakeholders such as the Victoria Falls Municipality to drum up material support for the annul mega track and field primary and secondary schools events.The joint events are a spectacular fulfilment of the New Curriculum especially on building learner exit profiles through the Annual Festivals of the Arts and Sciences,” reads an extract from a write-up by the Naph and Nash secretariat.

Matabeleland North, perennial occupiers of last position at the nationals, have declared that this year, that scenario will not suffice.

“We are declaring that coming last is now in the past. We can’t always be going to these competitions to make up numbers. Drastic changes are needed and must be implemented. Even this business of going with three busloads of athletes must be looked into because not only is it costly, but it also makes no sense to just carry an athlete simply because he or she came first in an event. We need to analyse their chances of a medal at national level. In short, we will only carry medal hopefuls,” Dube told the district heads in charge of athletics at a meeting last month.