THE National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (NAAZ) has applauded their new partners Metro Zimbabwe who bailed them out with four tickets at the eleventh hour ahead of their trip to Ukraine for the World Youth Championships that start today.
KENNETH NYANGANI
The country’s athletics mother body has been struggling to raise funds to send nine athletes who had qualified for the prestigious tournament. Eight athletes left the country on Monday night aboard the Egypt Air and were scheduled to touch down in Ukraine yesterday evening.
In an interview with NewsDay Sport yesterday, NAAZ president Tendai Tagara was on cloud nine saying the move by Metro Zimbabwe came at the right time as there is need to develop the sport from grassroots level.
“We are very happy with Metro Zimbabwe. They came to the rescue by providing four tickets for Team Zimbabwe and l am happy that they are ready to partner us in the long run. The partnership came at the right time as there is need to develop the sport from the grassroots,” he added.
“We have a good team. We have managed to send five boys and three girls respectively and at least if we can reach the semi-finals and finals, it will be better for us. We have a strong team in the medley relay that will be led by Michael Songore,” he added.
The medley relay has Songore, Sean Banda, Nyasha Mutsetse and Tarenda Mateswanwa. Other athletes who managed to make the trip are Shingi Hlanguyo, Daniel Chidavaenzi, Yvonne Muzinde and Marvelous Ndebele.
NAAZ administrator Enias Nhoro accompanied the team as team manager while Bright Nhumwa is the head coach.
