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Sports Reporter
MANUEL Mpofu’s White City Stars Academy is planning its second major track event to be held at White City Stadium next month.

The club held its first event last year which attracted more than 100 competitors from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South.

White City Stadium

Mpofu founded the academy in 2019, but it was largely dormant due to stringent Covid-19 lockdown measures which prevailed at the time.

Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) chairperson Watson Madanyika said the academy event will be an opportunity for budding athletes to announce their arrival on the athletics’ scene.

Watson Madanyika

“We are seized with that event and are presently sorting the programme. We expect athletes from Slack Athletics Club Harare, Mosi Striders-Vic Falls, Detema Strides, Plumtree High, Ihlosi Athletics Club, Gloag High School and other local clubs,” said Madanyika.

“This event will help our athletes get more competitions, which is what we have been pushing for after Covid-19 heavily restricted our athletes for two years.”

In last year’s event, Tapiwa Gushure won the 100m in a time of 10,78 seconds, beating race favourite Ronald Muchichwa, who crossed the line in 11,16 seconds to finish second.

Semukele Ngwenya took the women’s 100m dash in 13,01 seconds followed by Amanda Msongelwa in 13,31 seconds.

Thabo Mapfumo won the men’s one mile race in 5 minutes 20,02 seconds and Amanda Netha did the business in the women’s event, crossing the line in 7 minutes 46,77 seconds.

The competition was sponsored by Zimbabwe’s former triple jump record holder Ndabazihle Mdhlongwa and Arnold Payne’s Africa Children’s Hope Foundation.

Mobile network operator Econet chipped in with T-shirts and other accessories.