All set for the opening cross-country event

Sport
BULAWAYO Athletics Board (BAB) has sent invitations to all schools to take part in the season-opening cross-country event at Nketa Drive Park on Sunday.

BULAWAYO Athletics Board (BAB) has sent invitations to all schools to take part in the season-opening cross-country event at Nketa Drive Park on Sunday. RONALD MOYO SPORTS REPORTER

The event will see the selection of the provincial team that will represent Bulawayo in provincial competitions.

BAB secretary-general Dailes Bingadadi said it was all set for the first 2014 athletics event.

“We have already sent invitation letters to schools. Everything is now in place and on Sunday we are expecting a good turnout. This is our first event of the year and we are trying our best to make it a success as we are hoping to come out with a best provincial team,” Bingadadi said.

The competition will see Under-16 boys and girls and the Under-18 girls competing in the 6km event.

Under-18 boys will battle it out in the 8km race with the Under-20 boys also running the same distance while Under-20 girls will compete in the 6km race.

The senior women will run the 8km distance while the biggest event of the day will be for the senior men who will compete in the 12km race.

Bingadadi said the selection process will extend to February 8 where the final list of athletes to represent Bulawayo in Kwekwe a week after, will be compiled.

She also said the dates for the following events might shift following the change of the regional cross-country competitions set for South Africa.

“We are yet to confirm whether it is true that the date for the regional competitions set for South Africa have changed from February 22 to the 15th. If it is true we will adjust our final selection date from February 8 to January 25, but if there are no changes the dates will remain the same,” she said.

The regional cross-country championships will see countries like Zambia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi taking part.