Story by Mthokozisi Dube
BULAWAYO – PREPARATIONS for the inter-provincial athletics championships are now at an advanced stage ahead of the competitions pencilled for White City Stadium in Bulawayo on Saturday.
The event, which serves as a qualifier for the Southern Region Senior Championships to be held in Harare from July 26, is expected to attract some of the nation’s finest track and field athletes.
Host province, Bulawayo, is now seized with compiling start lists for races after receiving overwhelming interest from provinces, with athletes in the city fine-tuning their preparations in what is expected to be a make-or-break event for many competitors.
“Our secretariat is working flat out to compile a start list and putting the athletes in their respective heats, we have put in place good preparations and the electronic timing system will be used,” Bulawayo Athletics Board Chair, Watson Madenyika said.
National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) Director for Competitions, Manuel Mpofu is optimistic they will select the best team for the senior championships.
“As NAAZ, we are happy the ten provinces have registered an interest to participate. This is an opportunity to select the best athletes to represent Team Zimbabwe in July for the senior championships.”
Harare province are the defending champions of the competition, having won it at the same venue.
Top Zimbabwean athletes Denis Hove, Adrian Tafa, Leeford Zuze and Gareth Muwish, who participated at the World Relays in Guangzhou, China, last month, will battle it out with other athletes at the interprovincial competitions.
