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Innocent Kurira, [email protected]

THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) will send two athletes for the World Cross Country Championships to be staged in Belgrade, Serbia on March 30.

The two athletes are Wellington Varevi, who will participate in the 10km senior men’s category, and Previous Munsaka, who will take part in the 6km junior women’s category.

Naaz president, Tendai Tagara, said only two athletes will represent the country at the international competition.

Most athletes failed to run under the set qualifying times at the National Cross Country Championships held at Alan Lowry Golf Club, Redcliff last weekend.

“We have decided to have those two represent the country as they proved to have a realistic chance to participate on the big stage. Munsaka managed to run under the qualifying time and we are excited with her performance. Varevi was not too far from the qualifying time and has shown vast potential of late hence he will join Munsaka in Serbia. The turnout at the national finals was low and there is a need for improvement” said Tagara.

At the nationals, senior men and women were chasing a qualifying time of 29 minutes and 34 minutes respectively in 10km.

Under-20 men were expected to run 25 minutes for the 8km race and Under-20 women’s 6km race, the qualifying time was 24 minutes.

However, most of the athletes missed the times with only Munsaka running the qualifying time in the Under-20 women, coming first in 23 minutes 36.52 seconds.

In the senior men’s 10km race, Varevi finished in a time of 31 minutes 14 seconds while Tawanda Bvunzawabaya and Jonathan Chinyoka were in second and third place respectively.

Bvunzawabaya finished the race after 31 minutes 43 seconds while Chinyoka managed a time of 32 minutes 08 seconds.

Two athletes took part in the senior women’s category where Mirriam Sibanda and Emilia Mukungatu registered a time of 40 minutes 52 seconds and 42 minutes 54 seconds respectively.

The junior men category saw Andrew Ndlovu win the 8km race after crossing the finishing line in 26 minutes and 13 seconds.

In second place was Blessed Sipanela who finished the race after 26 minutes 23 seconds.

Meanwhile, the Bulawayo Athletics Board (Bab) will have their Track and Field Championships at White City Stadium on Saturday.

The programme will commence at 8:00am.

Events on offer are 100m, 100mh, 110mh, 200m, 400m, 400mh, 800m, 1 500m, 3 000m, 5 000m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, ZITF Coca-Cola

Four Minute Mile Challenge, long jump, triple, jump, high jump, javelin, shot put and discus.

Entry fees are pegged at US$2 per event per athlete for cadets, youths and juniors, US$3 per event per athlete for seniors and US$5 per relay team.

Registration will close at the end of the day today. The organisers will provide bib numbers.-@innocentskizoe