ZIMBABWE’S top sprinter Gabriel Mvumvure has questioned the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ)’s selection criteria for the 20th edition of the Senior African Athletics Championships to be held in South Africa from Wednesday.
BY DANIEL NHAKANISO
NAAZ last week announced a team of 11 female and 14 male track and field athletes for the continental championships to be held in Durban from June 22 to 26.
However, Mvumvure — the only track and field athlete to have qualified for the Rio Olympic Games so far — was surprised by the glaring omission of several in-form sprinters, including Louisiana State University (LSU) rising star Tinashe Mutanga.
“The one thing that really bothered me the most [about the team] is the absence of Tinashe Mutanga because I believe he was knocking at the door of getting the Olympic standard,” Mvumvure told Standardsport from his US base on Friday.
“This would have been a great opportunity for him to punch his ticket to Rio but I found out he wasn’t selected for the team, which is very disappointing.” Mutanga, a former African junior champion, has been one of the country’s most consistent sprinters this year, breaking into the star-studded LSU track team in his first season.
Last month he ran an Olympic Games qualifying standard for the 200m in Florida although it did not count because he was assisted by a gust measuring 2,4m per second, just above the allowable limit of 2,0m.
Mvumvure said he was disappointed by his omission as he felt he had a very good chance of not only qualifying for the Olympic Games, but also being part of what could have been a formidable Zimbabwean 4x100m relay team.
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Besides Mutanga, other local athletes who could have made the potential relay team include Tatenda Tsumba, who is on a scholarship at Brigham Young University in Utah.
Mvumvure also alleges NAAZ named national 100m and long jump record holder Ngonidzashe Makusha in the team without notifying him to make prior travel arrangements.
“My main objective this year was to push for Zimbabwe to assemble a great 4x100m relay that could qualify for Olympics but from the looks of it, I don’t think the people who have the power to make that a reality shared the same sentiments,” he said.
“The African Championships would have been a great platform for that to take place but some of the key members of what could be a phenomenal relay were left out of the team, Tinashe Mutanga and Tatenda Tsumba. I saw that Makusha was listed on the team but when I talked to him a few days ago, he claimed no one had notified him to make travel arrangements,” Mvumvure said.
Mvumvure called on the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Sports and Recreation Commission, to pay attention to the needs of the athletes; in order to get the best out of them.
“I just hope one day that the sports ministry and all the governing bodies will pay close attention to the needs and desires of their athletes.that way we can all best represent the country with our abilities. It’s hard in this sport because opportunities do not present themselves that much and many times we come up short,” he said.
Team Zimbabwe Men: Gabriel Mvumvure, Ngonidzashe Makusha and Hlungwayo Shingirai (100m/200m), Francis Zimwara, Nigel Tom (400m), Alfred Chaonza (800m),Tendai Zimuto (5000m), Nyasha Mutsetse (800m/1500m), Wellington Warevi (1500m), Jacob Mugomeri (10 000m), Selby Mukucha (110m hurdles), Roy Zakaria (400m hurdles), Chengetai Mapaye (Triple Jump), Keegan Cooke (decathlon) Women: Thomas Yvonne and Sukoluhle Mlalazi (100m/200m), Gabri Mbegema (200m), Mahachi Tsitsi, Rutendo Chimberu (200m/400m), Maryjoy Mudyiravanji (800/1500m), Chitate Olivia (5000m), Alice Maudze (100m hurdles), Kayla Wells (high jump), Catherine Makhaya (triple jump), Ager Savana (shot put).
