Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sport Hub
The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are pinning hopes on locally based athletes to qualify for the World Athletics Relays to be held in Guangzhou, China, this year.
The competition is due to take place on May 10 to 11.
The programme for the competition will comprise men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m, plus the mixed 4x400m.
And 32 teams will be entered for each of the events.
According to the qualification system, the top 16 teams from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are qualified for the World Relays, and the hosts may enter one team in each event, regardless of any entry conditions.
The remaining teams will be determined through the top lists in the qualification period that opened on January 1, 2024, and closes on April 13, 2025.
NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara said they would have wanted the United States-based athletes to be part of the teams, but these may not be available due to university commitments; hence NAAZ are now banking on the local-based.
“A number of athletes have been earmarked, but we will have a short-list.
“We are having a challenge with athletes based in the US because the time when the relays are run in May — that’s when the summer season begins in America, and it’s very tricky for the release of those athletes.
“We have tried through Brian Dzingai to assist on that one, but he is saying that it’s really a challenge because the universities are now focusing on the summer calendar, and that’s when it is very busy.
“It’s very difficult to get the foreign-based athletes. Our focus will be on the locally based athletes, and we will try to push.
“We have done it before with the local-based athletes . . . we are working on that.”
Zimbabwe have been to the World Relays before with the 4x100m team, and they will be out to secure one of the remaining slots in two events: the 4x100m and the 4x400m.
The local mother body is hoping to join hands with neighbouring countries such as Botswana and Zambia in staging events that can serve as a platform for their teams to chase qualification.
“As an association, we are planning for the event. Our athletes are now running. Harare has run an event; some athletes are training outside Zimbabwe, in South Africa.
“Very soon we will announce a long list, then we are planning to run a competition in Botswana where they have also invited us, where we want to send relay teams for both men and women, especially the 4x100m and 4x400m.
“We will look at what is best for us, the best bet on those two areas. And there is a competition that we have already been confirmed for in Botswana, which will be running in March as part of the qualification.
“We are hoping to get another relay competition in Zambia; that is what we are planning.
“We have also talked to Namibia; if they organise a relay event, we send our teams so that as a region we help one another to qualify for those two relays,” said Tagara.
While there have been some positive strides on the men’s side with the 4x100m relay team clinching a bronze medal at the Africa Senior Championships in 2022, it has been a different case for the women’s side as the numbers of athletes continue to dwindle.
“Those outstanding left on scholarship, but we will try. Definitely we will send a ladies’ team to Botswana.”
The top 14 teams in each of the events at the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 will automatically qualify for places at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025.
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