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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
UNITED States of America-based Zimbabwean athlete, Bradley Makuvire opened the season in style when he won the 2021 Louisiana State University Invitational men’s 6km race for the South-Eastern Louisiana University cross country team last Friday at the University Club of Baton Rouge.

The 23-year-old, a second year student at SLU, finished in 18:45,33 which was 24 seconds ahead of second place finisher Davis Bove of LSU (19:09,6). The Zimbabwean athlete, a 2020 second team All-Southland selection, has two top 10 finishes to his credit in just three races at SLU.

Newcomer Julius Kemper also put together an exceptional performance for South-Eastern in his debut. The freshman from Hamsburg, Germany finished ninth in a time of 19:53,13.

Commenting on Makuvire’s performance, SLU cross country head coach Corey Mistretta felt that while the Zimbabwean had a great display, there is a still a lot of work to be done.

“We’re encouraged to be back out there after the hurricane. Two great performances by Bradley and Julius but we’ve got a long way to go,’’ Mistretta said.

Makuvire is a beneficiary of the Costa Takawira Mangwende Foundation scholarship, founded in 2015 by former sportsperson, Costa Takawira who is working in partnership with another USA based ex-athlete, Philemon Hanneck to secure scholarships for Zimbabwean athletes to the US where they get access to better facilities and advanced coaching. Kevin Chiku and Faith Nyathi are the other beneficiaries who are at El Paso Community College. More athletes are heading to the US at the end of this year when Hanneck comes to Zimbabwe.

Takawira believes the three athletes already in the US have what it takes to represent Zimbabwe at the Olympics as well as World Athletics Championships in future.
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