Bulawayo ready for National Cross-Country
SEASONED long distance runner Trust Chidomaya is confident that Bulawayo Metropolitan Province will put up an impressive performance despite having a lean team at the National Cross-Country Championships set for today in Kwekwe.
Chidomaya, who doubles up as Bulawayo provincial coach and is being assisted by Untibile Maphosa of Super Stars Athletics Club, leads a team of 11 athletes.
The veteran runner said as the defending national cross-country champions, the runners that they have taken are novices and their strategy is to go for individual success.
He said instead of taking a team made up of six athletes per category, the province decided to take the “province’s best runners” to save resources and effectively compete.
“The team is okay and everyone is raring to go. It will be tricky to defend the title because we only have one category with a full squad, which is the senior men’s team. As defending champions we were supposed to come up with proper teams but the province decided to take the best runners to save resources and effectively compete.
“As defending champions we are going there to fight. We will do our best. If you look at our athletes, they come from clubs where they train hard and we also had our own session as the provincial squad,” said Chidomaya.
The senior men’s team is made up of ZRP Fairbridge’s Ngonidzashe Ncube, Sparrows’s trio of Danford Mlilo, Dumo Mkhwananzi and Thando Maphosa, as well as independent runner, Xolani Ncube.
The junior women’s category (Under-20) team is made up of City Meats’ Faith Nyathi and Yvonne Mutare of Ihlosi Athletics Club with the junior men’s squad composed of ZRP Fairbridge’s Michael Chimhuka, Sparrows’ Freedom Banda and Disciple Ncube of Ihlosi Athletics Club.
Bulawayo will not have any representatives in the senior women category as prospective athletes Qeqeshile Moyo of Super Stars and ZRP Fairbridge’s Faith Sanyika failed to complete the 10km under 45 minutes during qualifiers.
— @ZililoR