Four countries confirm participation in Naaz champs

Sport
FOUR Southern Region countries have confirmed participation at the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) National Championships scheduled for this weekend.

FOUR Southern Region countries have confirmed participation at the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) National Championships scheduled for this weekend. THANDIWE MOYO SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Lesotho have confirmed that they will be sending athletes for the competition which will be held at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) on Saturday and Sunday.

Naaz vice-president Enias Nhoro said: “We are still having our interprovincial championships, but we are trying to inaugurate a new competition where we invite other countries. We are hoping it would boost the quality of the competitors as each province is supposed to provide juniors and seniors for the competition.”

What could also be a drawing factor is that the competition will be electronically timed. Zimbabwe does not have an electronic timer and Naaz borrowed one from Botswana.

“We are expecting close to 500 athletes from here and other countries. We have also invited the Zimbabwe Republic Police who are preparing for the Sarpco games. We are expecting the athletes to arrive on Friday,” Nhoro said.

Bulawayo Athletics Board chairman Manuel Mpofu said they will finalise their team tomorrow.

“We are ready to host the local and international athletes. There will be an electronic timing system because most athletes want to qualify for the world championships and the junior championships. We have not finalised our team as a province, but we are hoping to do so by Wednesday (tomorrow),” he said.

The qualification cut-off date for the African Senior Championships and the World Championships is June 20.