The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Sports Reporter
LONG distance runners from the length and breadth of the country will converge at Hillside Dam Site in Bulawayo tomorrow (Saturday) for this year’s edition of the National Cross Country Championships where Manicaland will be represented by a total of 13 athletes.
Winners in the National Cross Country Championships are expected to participate in the World Cross Country to be held in Kampala, Uganda on March 25.
Manicaland held its provincial selection race last weekend where Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services runner, Blessing Chinyowa came first after crossing the finishing line in 48 minutes 35 seconds.
Mutare Athletics Academy’s Artwell Mafunga came second after completing the senior men’s 10km contest in 53 minutes.
Collin Kanyimo, who won the same race last year, was not there to defend his title as he opted to compete in a more lucrative competition in Harare the same weekend.
Battle hardened Kanyimo, however, will also be part of the Team Manicaland that will compete in Bulawayo together with fellow independent athlete, Lyno Muchena who was also in Harare last weekend.
Together with Sanzaguru’s Blessing Waison and Mutare Polytechnic’s Misheck Mabheka, the six make up the list of athletes to represent Manicaland in the senior men’s category.
In the 8km junior men category, Tanaka Hove of Sanzaguru High School earned the right to represent the province after snatching pole position in the provincial contest, while Joseph Muchazorwiwa came second after completing the race in 39 minutes 53 seconds.
The duo will be joined by St Noah’s Knowledge Mutambaneshiri in Team Manicaland junior men category.
The Mamunyadza High School quartet of Progress Dirorimwe, Dzidzai Gumede, Engina Navhira and Letwin Zvanai will represent the province in the junior women category.
Dirorimwe finished the provincial selection race in 29 minutes, seven seconds while second placed Gumede romped home in 31 minutes, 23 seconds.
Navhira completed the race in 33 minutes, 23 seconds.
Zvanai did not take part in the provincial selection albeit making it into Team Manicaland in the junior women category.
Manicaland Athletics Board chairman, Joshua Matume, confirmed that the team is ready to represent the province.
“The athletes are geared to partake in the National Cross Country Championships and we hope to make our impact felt.
“Our main aim is to have athletes feature in the top five of the respective categories and even go on to win in their categories,” said Matume.
