Zimbabwe's Under-20 athletics team has departed for the World Athletics U20 Championships in Oregon, USA, buoyed by strong corporate backing from Supreme Brands through its flagship Coral Soft brand as the country's brightest young athletes prepare to test themselves against the world's best.
The national team left the country yesterday ahead of the championships, which will run from August 5 to 9 at the iconic Hayward Field in Oregon.
Before departure, Supreme Brands organised a colourful send-off ceremony in Harare on Friday, where athletes and officials were urged to represent Zimbabwe with pride while receiving encouragement from sponsors and stakeholders.
Coral Soft, the team's principal sponsor, reaffirmed its commitment to grassroots sport by backing the delegation, while financial services company InnBucks handed over Visa cards loaded with allowances to athletes and officials for use during their stay in the United States. Topflight Travel is also supporting the team's campaign.
Supreme Brands managing director Victoria Sigauke said investing in young athletes forms part of the company's long-term vision of developing future champions and responsible citizens.
"I'm incredibly proud of these kids, of what they've managed to achieve. We've slowly become a brand that partners and sponsors champions," said Sigauke.
"If you look at what the kids from judo did in South Africa, they came back with over 40 medals this year compared to what they did last year. It is very encouraging to see this.
“One of the athletes is actually an intern at Coral Soft, so these are people we are building, not just to be our champions, but also a strong workforce for us."
Sigauke said Supreme Brands deliberately focuses on grassroots development because of the wider impact sport has on society.
"We target the grassroots because we believe that's where it all begins,” she said.
“In fact, tomorrow we have a soccer tournament with all sorts of kids coming together.
“We believe that when young people come together through sport, it keeps them away from many of the social challenges we are fighting as a country, including drug abuse and other social ills.
“Sport builds character and the right culture at a young age."
The Zimbabwean delegation is being led by respected national coach Aaron Whyte, who believes months of meticulous planning have prepared the team for the biggest competition of their junior careers.
Whyte revealed preparations began as early as December 2025, with several national training camps bringing together athletes from different provinces under one programme.
"In terms of preparation, realistically speaking, the team has been working,” he said.
“We started camping in December 2025 and the programme has been ongoing.
“We've got athletes from different provinces working with different coaches, so bringing everyone together and introducing one culture hasn't been easy.
"But I think we've managed to teach them to be their brother's keeper, to look out for each other because we are mainly focusing on the relays. Without that chemistry it is difficult to build a relay team. We've managed to create that cohesion, that brotherhood and teamwork."
He said the team had also benefited from regional and international competitions, including the recent Southern African Confederation of Athletics (SACA) Under-18 and Under-20 Championships in Mauritius, where Zimbabwe harvested an impressive medal haul.
However, Whyte acknowledged that Oregon presents a completely different challenge.
"The competition we are going to now is a different competition altogether,” he said.
“This is the highest level of junior athletics. We are not putting them under pressure, but we want them to give us their very best. Once they do that, the results will follow.
"We are aiming for personal bests, some national records where possible, but most importantly we want them to compete at the world stage and learn because this is the bridge from junior athletics to the senior ranks."
Zimbabwe's squad comprises Nenyasha Chihora, Tatenda Chindowa, Kunashe 'Malachi' Mafunga, Anesu Nyahuma, Alvin Simon, Nataly Shoko, Gift Khumalo, Ropafadzo Mzondo and Emmanuel Uriga, representing the country's hopes across sprinting, relays, middle-distance and field events.
Team captain Nenyasha Chihora said the athletes are motivated by the confidence shown in them by sponsors and are determined to reward that faith with strong performances.
"Our biggest target is to break the national Under-20 relay record of three minutes and nine seconds that was set in Finland in 2015. That is what we are chasing," said Chihora.
"Honestly, we were not expecting such huge support from our sponsors and supporters. Now that we have everything we need, I believe breaking that record is possible."
With months of preparation behind them, experienced leadership on the sidelines and growing corporate investment led by Coral Soft, Zimbabwe's emerging athletics stars now head to Oregon determined to leave their mark on the global stage and continue the country's resurgence in junior athletics.