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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter

SPRINTER Ngoni Makusha believes the past season gave him an opportunity to gain experience of what to expect when going for major competitions.

Makusha represented the country at the Tokyo Olympic Games after getting the universality slot offered to the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe by World Athletics.

He was one of the hopefuls to qualify for the Games but could not meet the times in both 100m and 200m. And getting the slot gave him a chance to be part of the Games that took place from July 23 to August 8 this year.

It was a tough going at the Games as he could not go past Round One in the men’s 100m. He had won his heat in the Preliminary Round to advance to Round One.

But going into 2022, the sprinter says he is ready for the upcoming season where he is targeting the African Senior Championships to be staged in Mauritius, in June and World Championships in July, in the United States.

“So, for 2022, the major championships, there is the African Senior Championships in June which are in Mauritius, then the World Championships in Oregon, USA. So, those are the championships I am targeting for 2022.

“I have already started my training and I am putting in the work and I am really positive that I will make the qualifying times.

“I have all the experience that I got from the Olympics and all the competitions that I have been competing in. So, I know what it takes to qualify and what I must do.

“I am definitely ready and I will keep on working hard and I am just hoping that I can qualify as early as I can also,” said Makusha.

Makusha said he is building on the lessons picked during the previous season, especially during his attempt to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

“I think periodising the preparation phase, competition phase then you rest again and you target certain competitions. You must always target certain competitions for qualifying, you must not go to each and every competition and try to qualify at every competition, that means you are going to burn out.

“I think that’s also a lesson that I learnt when I was trying TO qualify for the Olympics.

Each and every competition I was trying to qualify, thinking about times, running times not executing my races. So, I think those are some of the lessons that I will take forward,” said Makusha.

He is currently working with coach David Tinago and they are still finalising on the competitions he will be competing in, depending on the calendar of events for 2022.

“It’s not too much difference from what I have been doing. I have only like put in more technical stuff into my training like doing more reparative things like more drills to make sure that my technique is on point and in the gym also, just trying to get some strength in the gym.

“I noticed at the Olympics I was lacking in terms of strength, so I have also been working on that, strength and technique and just planning ahead. So, I believe if I work on those things I will definitely get better,” said Makusha.

He is considering going to South Africa or Botswana for part of his preparations.