CONFUSION marred the Hope Fountain 30km Race as there were no police details to control traffic in Bulawayo yesterday morning. The competition started at Centenary Park and ended at Hillside Dams.
SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER
There was an athletics official who was in a car that was leading athletes making hand signals to motorists so that they could be aware that there was an on-going competition.
However, some of the motorists seemed not to be amused as some of them ignored the official probably not aware of what was happening.
In the end, the official was given a jacket reflector (bib) to draw the motorists attention so that they could be aware that there were athletes competing but this was not good enough as they still failed to control traffic.
There was also confusion at the end of the race as the cadet who was supposed to give directions to the athletes seemed not to be sure of where the race was ending.
He first directed Elford Moyo, who was competing in the wheelchair category to the right before he signalled to the other direction where there was the finishing point.
In the end, Moyo had to stop a few minutes just to confirm if he was on the right track and there was nothing to show where the finishing line was.
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However, away from the controversy, Moyo from Lobels romped home first in one hour 28 minutes to win the race.
“The race was fair. The water points were fantastic. However, there was confusion at the end because someone would say go that direction and the other would direct me to another direction. There was no drawn finishing line. The police should control traffic. Those who were helping us in directing us can be there but the police need to be there because some motorists are very rude.
“I won this race because I have been training very hard. You should feel the pain when training. When the competition comes the athlete will then be comfortable,” said Moyo.
Moyo outpaced Samson Muroyiwa from Zvishavane who crossed the line in one hour 29minutes 11 seconds while Munyaradzi Katiyo finished the competition in one hour 47 minutes 43 seconds.
Moyo walked away with $100 while Muroyiwa and Katiyo received $75 and $50 respectively in the 22km race.
Independent athlete Thandiwe Ndlovu won the wheelchair women’s category in a time of two hours 16 minutes and 53 seconds. Ndlovu pocketed $100.
ZRP Fairbridge scooped the first prize of $125 when they got home in one hour 39 minutes 21 seconds in the senior men’s relay team while ZRP won the same accolade in the women’s section crossing the line in two hour 08 minutes 18 seconds.
Sparrows won the junior relay race in the juniors romping home first in one hour 41 minutes 55 seconds while their clubmate Sparrows clocked two hour 05minutes 04 seconds to win the junior girls relay race pocketing $125 in the process.
Matabeleland South athlete Nkosiyazi Sibanda scooped the first prize in the senior men’s section finishing in a time of one hour 36 minutes 30 seconds to win the first prize of $500 while Chiedza Chokore received the same amount when she came first in a time of one hour 58 minutes 39 seconds in the women’s section.
