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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
NATIONAL Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president Tendai Tagara has said they are using the Inter-provincial track and field championships starting today at the National Sports Stadium as the final selection event for the regional and international competitions between June and July.

Zimbabwe host the Southern African Regional Senior championships from June 9 to 11.

“This is the final selection for the Southern Region Senior championships team, the African Junior in Algeria and (IAAF World Under-18) Kenya. So it’s a very important competition and we are looking forward to good competition.

“We are trying to make it a small event because it’s now the national championships, it’s not an open event but we allow those that come as independent,” said Tagara.

They are also preparing for the African Junior and IAAF World Under-18 championships in July in Algeria and Kenya.

The national association are set to submit their list after the inter-provincial meet to the international federation for the confirmation on the Under-18 championships.

“Again it’s a rehearsal competition for the Southern Region meet.

“We have invested a lot of money in it because we are bringing five officials from each province and Harare will provide the bulk.

“We are looking at 200 to 300 athletes. We are having two age-groups, juniors or seniors. The idea to joining juniors and youths is for them to push each other,” Tagara said.

Bulawayo Athletics board chairperson Manuel Mpofu said they are hopeful some of their athletes will make it for the forthcoming regional and international assignments.

“We are fielding 15 athletes. Usually when we are travelling we don’t just carry quantity, we take quality. Those (15) are going to give us medals.

“They have been training for the past two weeks and some are going to be competing in more than one event. The idea is to make sure our athletes also qualify into the team for the Southern Region championships and Algeria for the African Juniors as well as youth championships in Kenya.

“If we manage to defend, it will be a bonus. The main idea is to expose our athletes,” said Mpofu.