Because the 12 months attracts to an in depth, Nationwide Athletics Affiliation of Zimbabwe president Tendayi Tagara took a while to mirror 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 Crew 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 via 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 path, having did not contribute any medal on the 2019 Video games, though athletics had quite a few athletes as a part of Crew Zimbabwe.
NAAZ went on to discipline a 10-member staff on the Africa Senior Championships in Doula, Cameroon, in June and received 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 staff picked up bronze in Mauritius.
Previous to the continental meet, Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba had run aggressive occasions on their option 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 remaining, 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 staff 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 considered one of their greatest, particularly, the athletes’ efficiency.
“2024, I feel, was considered one of our greatest seasons when it comes to 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 properly. Once more, should you have 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 international locations out of 214 international locations that had two athletes within the finals of the 200m of the Olympics, ourselves and the USA. That was an incredible efficiency,” stated Tagara.
NAAZ had extra juniors making the qualifying requirements for the World Underneath-20 Championships held in Lima, Peru, in August.
“By way of 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 received scholarships.
“So, we opted for them to go to the USA for scholarships. I bear in mind we cancelled two tickets be-cause we stated, No, we will not ask the youngsters to go to the World Junior Championships and miss their scholarship calls for. So, we’re comfortable.
“We’re comfortable 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 international locations 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 vp Siphatisiwe Machaya.
On the native scene, the affiliation managed to stage quite a few competitions, together with nationwide championships for seniors and juniors, aside from 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 guarantee that extra juniors are uncovered, and so they have been preventing for extra girls athletes to be taking part on the regional championships.
“One other factor we’re comfortable about is that our digital timing system is again, working,” stated Tagara. The brand new season takes off subsequent month.