Sports
As Collen wins the 2010 50km
IAU World championship in
Ireland
World Champ bemoans
lack of corporate support
Sports Writer, CHITUNGWIZA
Z
imbabwean & former 50km
IAU World Champion, Collen
Makaza, has bemoaned the lack
of support on the part of the
corporate sector, saying this will not,
however, deter him from helping uplift
sport in the community from which he
hails.
Makaza expressed these sentiments as
he begins planning for the 2013 edition
of Mr Pace Marathon, which he has
practically been sponsoring direct from
his pockets.
The gesture, he said, was part of his
desire to give back to the community and
at the same time identify and nurture
talent that lies in abundance mostly in
high density areas.
Makaza made history when in 2010 he
beat the world record by romping home
first in the elite global race. Unfortunately,
he failed to defend his title in 2011 due
to a nagging injury, and was conspicuous
by his absence at Aspen, the Netherlands,
since he could not travel. Last year he
took part in the race, but his achievement
could not surpass the feat posted in 2010.
What the former champion fails to
understand now is why the corporate
world does not want to complement the
work he is doing for the benefit of both
their clientele base and the country at
large.
His brainchild, Mr Pace Marathon
- which is the last race on the calendar
of the National Athletics Association
of Zimbabwe - had its last edition run
from Harare’s Central Business District,
through the high density suburb of
Mbare and surrounds, and ended at the
Aquatic Complex in Chitungwiza. It had
categories for Seniors, Juniors and U13s,
and was split into the main 42.2km and
the 5km distances.
Gilbert Mutandiro, a top athlete who
has made it on the international scene,
was the first one home in the main
race while Sharon Tavengwa, another
household name, scooped the women’s
category prize money.
But it is the prize money at stake that
makes Makaza feel not enough is being
done to support efforts such as his. Out
of a total $2 160 he managed to put on
the table, for instance, all that the two
winners in the Seniors category could
take home was $300 apiece.
“Nobody seems to understand the
scope behind this race which I initiated
in 2009. But the whole idea is not only
to identify talent in these communities
per se, but also to afford participating
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athletes qualifying times in such races as
Comrades, Two Oceans and City to City
and Soweto Marathon.
“It is run under the auspices of the
Harare Athletics Board, NAAZ and IAAF.
We also seek to bring athletics to the
people, which explains why it is run
in the communities,” he said. Minister
of Information and Publicity, Webster
Shamu, was the Guest of Honour at the
finishing point.
Collen running with compatriot and
friend, Stephen Muzhingi, as part of
the F1 team during the 2010 Comrades
Marathon in South Africa
April 2013
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