The sprinter, who was part of Team Zimbabwe at the quadrennial global sporting event in Greece eight years ago, qualifies to represent Britain by virtue of having acquired UK permanent residency.
He is scheduled to compete in the men’s 400m race at the England Athletics Senior Championships, which are used as Olympic trials in Birmingham on June 2.
Before that, Zvasiya will race in the Ludvik Danek Memorial in Turnor in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, before taking part in the Ifam Outdoor international Athletics meeting in Oordegem, Belgium four days later. On May 27, he will be in France for the Meeting de Forbach race.
“Am still running big time, it is just that am now eligible to run for England. I am allowed to compete at closed competitions only for UK athletes like the one on 2 June,” said Zvasiya.
The 30-year-old feels the Czech and Belgium competitions will not strain him, but would afford him apt preparations for the England Championships, which are restricted only to England athletes.
“Yes, it is a busy week but it will not strain me,” he said. The athlete, who is elder brother to Kaizer Chiefs and Warriors defender, Lincoln Zvasiya, also represented Zimbabwe at the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002.
Zvasiya could not be drawn to reveal why he opted to run for England, but expressed irritation at reports politicising his decision.“People have been reporting the story in a political way and that is not right with me.”
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Zvasiya won a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the African Athletics Championships in Congo Brazzaville in 2004 with a team that included Talkmore Nyongani, Themba Ncube and Lewis Banda.
