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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter

MATABELELAND North districts today converge in Victoria Falls for the Naph and Nash inter-district track and field athletics competitions that kick-off at Mosi oa Tunya High School tomorrow.

Host school headmaster Roland Sibanda declared their readiness for the provincial schools’ event.

“The competition venue is sorted, with standard measurements on the track and field all done,” said Sibanda, who is also the national head in charge of athletics for Nash.

The meet will serve as a selection platform for athletes to represent the province in the national athletics finals set for Peterhouse College in Mashonaland East later this month.

This is the second year the competitions for primary and secondary schools are being held jointly to cut costs.

Athletes will compete in various track and field events over the next two days in what promises to be an eventful affair as the districts’ best athletes come head to head.

The teams will be vetted today in line with agreed guidelines before a technical meeting later in the evening jointly chaired by Naph head in charge of athletics Bigboy Chauke and his Nash counterpart Cain Ncube.

During the build up to this week’s meeting, there was a constant emphasis on strict adherence to time keeping as well as refraining from age cheating.

Anyone that falls foul of age rules will be sanctioned.

The province also agreed to come up with qualifying times and distances so that it takes medal hopefuls to the inter-provincial competition unlike in previous years when athletes qualified to represent the province by virtue of coming first in a given event.

This was blamed for the province’s perennial poor performance in national competitions where they always emerged last.

Acting Matabeleland North provincial education director Jabulani Mpofu, Zero Supplies managing director Clemence Kudzikweguta and Victoria Falls Municipality management staff are expected to grace the event.

Zero Supplies kitted all the Naph athletes.