NAAZ junior championships set for April Costa Takawira

Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) Gift Chigwere junior championships to be held in Bulawayo on April 8 will be the final selection meet for the Africa Junior Championships.

The event scheduled for White City Stadium is expected to draw athletes from around the country. Athletes aged 19 years and below are expected to take part in the event that is sponsored by Baldmin Holdings, whose founder and managing director is Costa Takawira, a former athlete.

The late Gift Chigwere is my former teacher at Allan Wilson in Harare who identified Takawira when he was still running in primary school and offered him a place at Allan Wilson Technical Boys High. It was at this school that Takawira did form one up to upper six. Besides Takawira, the late Chigwere also took United States of America based Philimon Hanneck (formerly known as Harineki) to Allan Wilson from Rakodzi in Marondera. Hanneck represented Zimbabwe at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics before he switched his allegiance to the USA in 1999.

A scholarship was organised for Takawira by the late Chigwere with the then City of Harare which assisted Takawira’s parents a lot as they were now paying less at Allan Wilson due to the assistance.

Bulawayo Athletics Board chairperson Watson Madanyika called for junior athletes to grab this opportunity to travel to Zambia.

“This event will be the final selection for the Zambia tour and we are expecting good times and distances from the athletes since they have been training throughout the term.

“There are no qualifying times. Instead, coaches will select athletes with the best times and distances during the event. Baldmin Holdings is the sponsor of the event,” said Madanyika.

On the state of preparedness, the Bab chairman stated that planning for the event was going well.

“Preparations for the event are now at an advanced stage. We are expecting all those athletes who will make it at Nash to come and participate with those who are non-school athletes.

“We are expecting athletes from all the provinces to come and take part and stand a chance to qualify for Zambia. Naaz is targeting to send a minimum of 100 athletes to Zambia for the Africa Junior Championships,” Madanyika further stated.

The Africa Junior Championships will be held in Zambia from April 29 to May 3.

Registration fee for the event is pegged at US$2, which is the same amount for the relays per team. Events on offer include 100m, 200m, 400m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 100m hurdles, 4x100m relay.

 Long jump, high jump, triple jump, javelin and discus throwing are the field competitions that will be available on the day. -@innoceentskizoe

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