SPRINTERS Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanaka Charamba have been flying Zimbabwe’s flag high on the global athletics map.
On Thursday, Makarawu went a step further, securing his spot in the men’s 200m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
The 25-year-old clocked an impressive 19.98 seconds to finish third in his semifinal heat.
This achievement is no small feat.
Just last year, he and Charamba shared the same Olympic final in Paris — a rare moment of glory for Zimbabwean athletics.
But behind their success lies a sobering truth: Both athletes are based in the United States, training at institutions that can provide the facilities, coaching and support that Zimbabwe no longer offers.
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It is not that Zimbabwe once lacked facilities.
The country built infrastructure for the 1995 All-Africa Games, developed stadiums and produced world-class athletes across disciplines.
But decades of neglect have left most facilities run down, outdated and unable to meet the demands of high-performance sport.
Today, athletes with talent are forced to look abroad for opportunities, while those without sponsorship simply fade into obscurity.
Sport is not just about medals and glory.
It is an industry with the potential to create jobs, boost tourism and inspire a new generation.
A thriving sports sector strengthens national pride and unity, while providing young people with alternatives to drugs, crime and idleness.
Zimbabwe’s youth are bursting with raw talent, but without investment in infrastructure, coaching and grassroot development, their dreams will remain unfulfilled.
Makarawu and Charamba’s achievements should be a wake-up call.
Instead of celebrating their victories abroad while neglecting sport at home, Zimbabwe must commit to rebuilding its sporting ecosystem — from schools and communities up to elite levels.
That means revamping stadiums, modernising training centres, supporting coaches and ensuring that sports associations are run transparently, free from politics and patronage.
Other countries have shown what is possible with serious commitment.
Kenya turned athletics into a global brand, producing world-class long-distance runners who not only dominate marathons worldwide, but also bring in sponsorships, investment and tourism.
South Africa has built a thriving sports industry around rugby, cricket and football, where professional leagues create employment, generate revenue and put the nation on the global stage.
Even smaller nations, such as Jamaica, leveraged sprinting talent to global fame and economic benefit, turning athletes like Usain Bolt into national treasures and international ambassadors.
Zimbabwe has the same potential — but it requires vision.
Makarawu and Charamba’s success should not be celebrated as isolated triumphs abroad.
They should be catalysts for a deliberate strategy to rebuild sport at home.
That means:
- Revamping stadiums and training centres.
- Modernising school and community sports programmes.
- Investing in coaching and sports science.
- Ensuring that sports associations are run transparently, free from politics and patronage.
Zimbabwe has the talent.
What it lacks is the commitment to nurture and harness it.
If we do not act now, we will continue exporting our stars, cheering them from afar, while the country gains little beyond fleeting headlines.
It’s time to treat sport not as an afterthought, but as a strategic national investment.