Ellina Mhlanga — Head coach for youth and junior teams Briad Nhubu believes they are up for an exciting competition when up-and-coming athletes converge in Bulawayo for the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe Junior Championships.
The meet will take place on Saturday at White City Stadium.
It comes a week after the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) national competition at Chipadze in Bindura.
The Bulawayo championships will also serve as the final selection event for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games scheduled for July.
"Firstly, let me say, looking at the performance we witnessed in Bindura, we have good talent.
"We have athletes who are actually performing fairly well, which, from my assessment, we can have some podium finishers from the group, particularly at the Region 5 Games.
"The athletes are performing well and I am excited that a number of them have experienced what I may call a higher-level competition because they were in Ndola, Zambia last time (for the Africa Under-20/Under-18 Championships).
"Some of them who were Under-18 are eligible for Region 5 Games in Namibia. So, yes, the way they had performed is quite promising."
NAAZ already have a shortlist for the Regional Games and had a chance to assess some of the athletes last week at the NASH competition.
"I am expecting the athletes to give their best performances, all-out effort, because it will be the final selection.
"We are told that we are going to be having electronic timing.
"And I think that will be another opportunity for the athletes to actually perform and get electronic time, which is one of the most needed things, which has forced most of them to move to Zambia, Botswana and South Africa in the past.
"But now that we have the electronic time at White City Stadium, it's a very good opportunity," added Nhubu.
Besides the AUSC Region 5 Games, NAAZ are also preparing for the Africa Under-20 and Under-18 Championships also expected to take place in July.
"Also looking at the age group that will participate in the Africa Junior Championships in Algeria, there are also some athletes who are doing very well, of which I think, we will look forward to grabbing some medals, of course, of any colour.
"We will have the final assessment of those who will represent us in a both competitions in Bulawayo, where we think it will be a good platform for all athletes that we have in the country, considering that some might have been left out to participate in Bindura because of not being affiliated to NASH.
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"But now that this one is a NAAZ competition open for all, we think all the best athletes will attend," said Nhubu.
Registration for the meet closed on Monday and national competitions director Manuel Mpofu said they have around 500 athletes registered.
"Now are busy doing the start lists and compiling all the entries so that on the day of the race we have a smooth event.
"We are expecting the expert for Time Tronics to arrive tomorrow morning (today), so that he prepares tomorrow and Friday, so that on Saturday everything is set.
"We have plus or minus 500 athletes.
"We are saying athletes should push to the maximum. They should perform very well in the heats because we just have heats and the final, we don't have semi-finals," said Mpofu.
