Zimpapers Logo

Ellina Mhlanga, Senior Sports Reporter

RISING sprinter David Nyamufarira is stepping up his preparations for the World Under-20 Championships at the National Sports Academy in Bindura.

The junior meet is due to take place from August 27 to 31 in Lima, Peru.

Nyamufarira qualified for both 100m and 200m events, and for the last couple of months he has been working towards his participation at the competition under the guidance of Cuthbert Nyasango.

Nyasango said with just over a month before the competition comes to life, their focus is to ensure Nyamufarira remains injury free and healthy.

“He is doing well. We are really focusing on continuing to make him remain healthy because what is more important is for him to be healthy because if he is not healthy then we don’t expect anything.

“So this is what we are doing as coaches to make sure that he is healthy and continue to improve some of the fitness components that we feel he needs to improve.

“But he is in good shape and we are looking forward for him to go and do justice to himself out there.”

They are also looking at improving his times in both events.

“He has been to several competitions in South Africa as well, as he pursued qualification for the championships.

“He is running 100m and 200m, he qualified for both events. So, he is in the 100m and 200m.

“He went there to South Africa again, and then he did improve his time from the first time that he ran and then he ran a 10.43 (in 100m).

“So, we are hoping that through this camp, he must improve his time to lower them to around 10.30, 10.20 if everything goes well.

“That’s our projection and what we are hoping for.

“He is staying at the Bindura University with us now where he is in camp. I can say he is in our camp as National Sports Academy,” said Nyasango.

Nyamufarira also conducts some of the training sessions at the National Sports Stadium once every week.

Nyasango said with more resources they would have wanted to have more sessions at the National Sports Stadium as they continue with their build-up.

“We are monitoring him every day.

“But we come to Harare so that he trains in the stadium and go back to Bindura on the same day. We come once a week because resources limit us. So, we come once a week for him to at least do some sessions at the stadium.

“But if resources would permit, we would have loved to come here maybe three times a week. But because of resources we come just once a week, Wednesdays,” Nyasango said.

Qualification to the championships opened last October and is running until three weeks before the competition.