The Sunday Mail
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe has embarked on a Kids Athletics Programme after receiving training equipment worth US$25 000 from the International Association of Athletics Federation last year.
The programme is designed to develop skills of athletes aged between five and 12 years and the equipment they will use includes hurdles and discuss throws.
NAAZ received the equipment, which arrived in the country from Monaco in December last year, following an acknowledgment of its development programmes by the international athletics governing board.
naaz vice president Aneas Nhoro said, “This is a very important programme for our athletes; it is scientifically proven that if we expose kids at a tender age to such programmes with proper coaching demonstrating the basics using such equipment, those athletes will last longer.
“It produces quality athletes who will win us medals in the future. I will give you an example of Kenyan (David) Rudisha who did a similar programme though for combined events, and went on to break records.”
He added: “As naaz we got recognition from IAAF through our sound development programmes which were rated among the best in terms of coaches and officials. We have 150 internationally trained officials and 80 coaches with the Level 2 Certificate.”
naaz has started the programme with the training of 91 officials last week in Bulawayo.
The next training programme will be held from February 27 to March 1 in Harare.
Nhoro said they would work with the National Association of Primary Schools Heads in implementing the programme.
“The trained trainers will go back to their provinces where they will work with naph officials and also naaz provincial chairpersons in seeing that the programme is conducted.”
Meanwhile, selection for Team Zimbabwe for the 12th Africa Junior Championships set for Ethiopia from March 1 to 8 continued at White City Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday.
Competitions are alternating between Harare and Bulawayo for the next two weeks before the final team is selected.
naaz director of coaching Phakamile Lisimati said, “We are preparing well, we hope athletes will be in good shape by the time of the competition, we are also checking their conditioning and performance.”
He cited youth Olympians Enlitha Ncube and Maryjoy Mudyaravanji as some of Zimbabwe’s bright prospects in the competition.
“Enlitha and Maryjoy are well ahead of everyone, they are safely in after recording good times at the World Youth Games last year. Those times are still valid.”
Enlitha has qualified for the 1 500m race with a time of 4m12s while Maryjoy will compete in both the 800m and 1 500m races with times of 2m09s and 4m28s, respectively.
The standard qualifying time for 800m is 2m10s while for the 1 500m it is 4m29s.
Other athletes who have qualified are Brian Mada in triple jump (15,05m), and 100m sprinter Shingirai Hlanguwo, who has a B time of 10,71s.
The Africa Championship has produced some of the country’s top athletes.
These include Olympian Brian Dzingai, sprint sensation Tinashe Mutanga, Thandiwe Nyati in the middle distances and Takudzwa Muchichwa, who holds the national high jump record of 2,12m.
