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Ricky Zililo and Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporters
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has applied to Government for permission to send athletes for World Junior Championships qualifying events in South Africa.

So far only two sprinters, Clinton Muunga of Matabeleland South and Samukeliso Ndebele from Matabeleland North, have qualified for the World Junior Championships and Naaz is confident more athletes will qualify for the games.

Also known as the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, the World Junior Championships will run from August 17-22 in Kenya.

Naaz president Tendai Tagara said: “A couple of junior athletes have applied to travel to South Africa to participate in some events with the hope of qualifying for the World Junior Championships. We’ve applied for authority from the Government so that athletes with resources participate in the events lined up for June 19, 23 and 27 in South Africa.”

Muunga and Ndebele qualified for the global juniors’ meet in the Naaz national championships held in Harare in May.

Muunga qualified for both the 100m and 200m sprints after clocking 10,46 seconds and 21,21 seconds respectively in the two events.

Qualifying times for the junior men are 10,58 seconds for 100m and 21,38 seconds for 200m.

Ndebele qualified for the women’s 200m World Junior Championships finals after running a time of 23,30 seconds. The standard qualifying time for the global Under-20 competition in the 200m women’s race is 24,35 seconds.

Meanwhile, the Bulawayo Athletics Board (BAB) says it will be impossible to go ahead with the Open World Olympic Africa Challenge meet that had been scheduled for Saturday at White City Stadium.

The event was meant to give local athletes their final chance to qualify for the World Junior Championships to be held in Kenya in August.

Bab chairperson Watson Madanyika said: “It is welcome news that we have been granted the green light to resume. However, the go ahead has come a bit late for us to host the Olympic Africa Challenge this weekend. We now have to work out on a new date for the meet, which is crucial in terms of giving athletes an opportunity to qualify for the World Junior Championships. The qualification period is not yet over and we hope some of our athletes that are closer to qualifying times will keep pushing until they make it.”

The Sports and Recreation Commission authorised 24 sports, including athletics, to resume activities in accordance with their previously approved Covid-19 protocols encompassing national and World Health Organisation guidelines.