Monday proved to be a significant day for Zimbabwe at the 2024 Olympics as sprinters Makanakaishe Charamba and Tapiwa Makarawu both secured their places in the semi-finals of the 200m sprint.
Charamba delivered a strong performance in heat 3, finishing second with a time of 20.27 seconds. He competed in a tightly contested race won by Botswana’s Tebogo Letsile, who crossed the finish line in 20.10 seconds. Charamba’s time was impressive enough to secure his advancement to the semi-finals.
Similarly, in heat 5, Tapiwa Makarawu also claimed second place with a time of 20.07 seconds, ensuring his progression alongside Charamba. Both athletes expressed their satisfaction with their performances and are preparing for the semi-finals, scheduled for Wednesday.
Charamba, reflecting on his race, shared his modest expectations and eagerness to continue improving. “The feeling is great, I did not have large expectations but just to enjoy myself. I’m just going to relax and get back to the drawing board and see my coach and hear what he thinks,” he said.
Makarawu, on the other hand, was thrilled with his results and acknowledged the hard work of his coach. “It’s a good one, we worked hard for it. My coach and I had to work on my weaknesses. We had almost like one and a half weeks to improve from 21:04 to 20:04,” he noted after his race. With both sprinters advancing to the next round, Zimbabwe looks forward to their continued success as they aim to make their mark in the semi-finals.
In other news – ZIFA explains why Prophet Magaya’s Heart stadium can’t host CAF matches
The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has provided clarification on why the newly inaugurated Heart Stadium, owned by Prophet Walter Magaya, will not be hosting CAF (Confederation of African Football) matches. Despite its grand opening by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2023 and its impressive 40,000-seat capacity, the Heart Stadium does not meet the necessary requirements for CAF-sanctioned games.
In an official statement, ZIFA addressed recent reports suggesting that the Heart Stadium could serve as a venue for CAF fixtures involving Zimbabwean clubs Ngezi Platinum Stars and Dynamos FC. Read More
