Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Augustine Hwata
4 December 2008
Harare — ZIMBABWE have withdrawn the men's team from the 2008/2009 Standard Chartered Greatest Race on Earth after experiencing challenges in coming up with a decent team for the nations challenge for this edition.
Since 2004, when the event started, Zimbabwe had fielded a team for the nations challenge in the men's section and included a fully-fledged women's side for this fifth edition of the competition.
When the 2008/2009 Zimbabwe team was officially unveiled in Harare on October 9, 2008, Brighton Chipere had been presented to start with the baton for the men's team.
Lizih Chokore was supposed to travel with Chipere for first leg of the race, the Nairobi Marathon, but she ended up teaming up with Rabson Chigara.
Chipere had pulled out and Chigara went on to finish seventh in 2 hours 30 minutes 25 seconds in the nations challenge as Chokore placed Zimbabwe in third position after clocking 2.57.42s.
Either Abel Chimukoko or Mike Fokorani was supposed to take over the baton in the Singapore leg this Sunday but none of them is available.
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee general manager Stanley Mutoya yesterday broke the news that Zimbabwe would no longer be taking any further part in the men's competition.
ZOC and the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe are partners with Standard Chartered Bank Zimbabwe in this competition meant to raise money for eye operations for the underprivileged around the world.
The GROE is also guaranteeing a share of the top prizes for the teams with lower aggregate times after the four legs.
"Unfortunately, we are unable to field a men's team for the remaining legs of the competition.
"It has been a bit of a challenge to come up with a team and the best now is to pull out.
"Remember that we had wanted Brighton Chipere to start off with the baton in Nairobi but changed at the last minute when we called in Chigara.
"We had also hoped that Chimukoko would be ready for the Singapore race but he cannot take part and Mike Fokorani, whom we had placed as the reverse, was injured recently.
"Fokorani was injured in one of his preparatory races and with that we cannot make any further changes again at the last minute.
"The best option is to withdraw the men's team and focus on the women," said Mutoya.
Muchaneta Gwata will be leaving Harare for Singapore today so that she can take part in the "Island Race" on Sunday.
"She will be returning home on Sunday.
"Our women's team has posted good times and should be encouraged so that they do very well," Mutoya said.
After the Singapore leg, Gwata will hand the baton to Tawapo Bhiri who will take part in the Mumbai race on January 18 before Chiyedza Chokore anchors the Hong Kong leg on February 8.
Michael Ngaaseke and Phillip Bandawe are the other members of the Zimbabwe team who will be counting their losses after the men's team's withdrawal from the competition.
Zimbabwe's men's team had done fairly well in the nations challenge, oscillating between third and fifth positions over the years.
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