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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has written to the Government requesting funds to send 10 athletes to the Africa Senior Championships, which have been moved to Nigeria.

The championships, which draw the best track and field athletes on the continent, will run from June 23-27, and were switched to Nigeria after Algerian organisers failed to get the go-ahead to stage the event from their national scientific commission for monitoring Covid-19.

Naaz president Tendai Tagara said they had approached the Government for assistance to enable them to send their medal hopefuls for their last chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The athletics body has encouraged athletes based outside the country to target individual qualification by participating in recognised events closer to their bases.

Some overseas-based athletes Naaz hopes can qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games are the United States-based trio of Chengetayi Mapaya, Tinotenda Matiyenga and Kundai Maguranyanga, as well as Tatenda Tsumba, who is based in the United Kingdom.

Naaz has been directed to submit a provisional squad by June 10, and the overseas athletes are expected to be included in the squad.

“Naaz has to enter a provisional team for (the) Africa Senior Championships by the 10th of June as directed by Africa Athletics Confederation. We have applied to the Government for air tickets only to send 10 athletes and four officials. If funds are available, we will send 10 athletes, but if they are not, we will only send two athletes,” said Tagara.

“We don’t have resources due to inactivity in our sector due to Covid-19. We hope the Government through the Sports and Recreation Commission will respond positively to our request,” he said.

He said sprinter Ngoni Makusha is the only locally-based athlete that will be in the team.

“The other local guys’ inclusion will be determined by the availability of US-based guys because we can only field two athletes per event. If Matiyenga is available, he will run the 100m race with Makusha,” said Tagara. – @ZililoR