Because the 12 months attracts to a detailed, Nationwide Athletics Affiliation of Zimbabwe president Tendayi Tagara took a while to replicate on a few of their proud moments for 2024.
It was a reasonably good 12 months for athletics, with some noticeable enhancements and achievements regardless of some limitations.
NAAZ offered athletes for Group Zimbabwe on the African Video games, in Accra, Ghana in March that additionally served as a qualifier for the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games.
Whereas the athletes missed the entry requirements for Paris, athletics contributed two medals by way of distance runner Isaac Mpofu and United States-based hurdler Ashley Kamangirira.
They picked up bronze medals within the half marathon and 100m girls’s hurdles.
It was a step within the optimistic route, having didn’t contribute any medal on the 2019 Video games, though athletics had plenty of athletes as a part of Group Zimbabwe.
NAAZ went on to area a 10-member crew on the Africa Senior Championships in Doula, Cameroon, in June and bought two silver medals from triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya and sprinter Tapiwanashe Makarawu (in 200m).
It additionally marked an enchancment from 2022 when the 4x100m males’s relay crew picked up bronze in Mauritius.
Previous to the continental meet, Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba had run aggressive instances on their approach to qualifying for the Olympic Video games held from July 26 to August 11.
They went on to show their qualification was not a fluke when reaching the 200m males’s last, the place Makarawu positioned sixth and Charamba eighth.
They have been each making their debut look on the world multi-sport show-piece.
Mpofu additionally made an impression on the Video games when ending nineteenth within the males’s marathon. He was additionally making his maiden look on the Video games.
NAAZ had 4 athletes who have been a part of Zimbabwe’s crew on the Olympics, together with Rutendo Nyahora.
Sadly, Nyahora, competing for the second time on the Video games, failed to complete the ladies’s marathon.
Tagara described the season as certainly one of their finest, specifically, the athletes’ efficiency.
“2024, I feel, was certainly one of our greatest seasons by way of the efficiency of our athletes.
“One, the African Video games, we have been in a position to get medals.
“So, we actually began the 12 months very effectively. Once more, when you take a look at it, the Africa Senior Championship, we medalled once more. After a very long time, getting medals, it was an excellent indication for the 12 months.
“I feel the climax of our season was the Olympics, the place we have been in a position to be within the finals of the 200m. For the primary time, two athletes reaching the finals of the 200m and the place our athletes have been competing on the Olympics for the primary time.
“We have been solely two nations out of 214 nations that had two athletes within the finals of the 200m of the Olympics, ourselves and the USA. That was an important efficiency,” mentioned Tagara.
NAAZ had extra juniors making the qualifying requirements for the World Beneath-20 Championships held in Lima, Peru, in August.
“When it comes to the juniors, for the primary time, we had eight athletes who certified for the World Juniors since independence by qualification, though a few of them didn’t handle to journey due to restricted sources; that was one of many causes.
“Two, a few of them have been now transferring to the USA for scholarships, the week of the World Junior Championships. Of all of the eight athletes, six of them bought scholarships.
“So, we opted for them to go to the USA for scholarships. I keep in mind we cancelled two tickets be-cause we mentioned, No, we won’t ask the youngsters to go to the World Junior Championships and miss their scholarship calls for. So, we’re blissful.
“We’re blissful once more that Collen Jimu was in a position to be promoted to be an ITO (Worldwide Technical Official). We at the moment are one of many solely 5 nations in Africa that embody South Africa, Kenya, Senegal, and Mauritius which have utilised their full quota of three worldwide technical officers on the panel for worldwide competitors for CAA (Confederation of African Athletics).
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“That could be a nice achievement.”
The opposite two that have been beforehand a part of the panel are Enias Nhoro and NAAZ vice chairman Siphatisiwe Machaya.
On the native scene, the affiliation managed to stage plenty of competitions, together with nationwide championships for seniors and juniors, other than provincial competitors.
They held their elections in October.
“You discover that the majority of our occasions have been executed on time. We managed to run two Degree Two programs for coaches. We ran three Degree One programs. We additionally developed extra officers.
“I’m proud of the management of the Athletes’ Fee, led by (Dickson) Kamungeremu.
The management was in a position to make it possible for extra juniors are uncovered, and so they have been combating for extra girls athletes to be taking part on the regional championships.
“One other factor we’re blissful about is that our digital timing system is again, working,” mentioned Tagara. The brand new season takes off subsequent month.
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