All set for African Junior Athletics Championships' trials

William Kallaghe, AT vice-president, said they expect 100 to 120 junior athletes to compete in the trials which will see the best-performing athletes gain a chance to represent the country in the Zambia showdown.

Kallaghe could not issue the number of athletes set to represent the country in Lusaka, saying it will depend on those who meet the qualifying time set by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA).

He said the selected athletes will enter camp the day after the trials and will be under coaches Alfred Shahanga and Asha Khatibu.

"All is set for the trials with the sole purpose to select athletes that will represent the country in the Africa Junior Athletics Championships in Zambia, the event will involve U-18 and U-20 athletes, we have also unveiled two coaches that will train the team," he said.

Many local junior athletes compete in field events and the qualifying time set by CAA are 10.6/10.84 and 11.9/12.14 for 100 meters in men's and women's categories respectively, qualifying for 200 meters for men and women are 21.5/21.74 and 24.5/24.74 respectively.

The qualifying time for 400 meters for men and women is 48.2/48.32 and 55.33/55.44, while for men's 800 meters qualifying time is 1.51.50 and women's time is 2.10.00. In 1500 meters, men's qualifying time is 3.49.00 and women's time is 4.29.00.

The qualifying time for 3000 meters race for men is 3.49.00 and 9.40.00 for women, in 5000m event men's time is 14.19.00 whereas women's time is 16.40.00, in the 10,000m race qualifying time for both males and female athletes is 30.50.00.

Tomorrow's trials come after many junior athletes had failed to reach the qualifying time in the just-ended East and Central Africa Junior Athletics Championships (EAAR), which saw Tanzania finish third.

The national athletics governing body, through its acting secretary-general Jackson Ndaweka, said no U-20 athletes attained outright qualification for the Zambia showdown.

Ndaweka said only one local athlete attained the qualifying time in the EAAR Championships, which took place at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. 

In the regional athletics showdown, Tanzanian athlete Eliah Chani won a medal in the long jump category, having posted 6m29cm. 

The AT official said invitations have been extended to all regions of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar for the trials.

The CAA Junior Athletics Championships will be held at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka from April 19-23 and junior athletes from more than 50 African nations are expected to battle it out in the showpiece.

Tanzania's athletics legend Suleiman Nyambui issued his opinion on the Tanzania team, suggesting that the trials should be postponed to another date.

According to the legend, the approach will give coaches ample time to prepare U-20 athletes for the trials.

Nyambui, the former AT secretary-general, said in case the trials take place on the planned date, senior athletes should be included to push the juniors to work hard.

He also advised all local athletics coaches to work together so the country can have many athletes in the continental junior championships. 

He made several recommendations to AT, some of which are intensive training for athletes before the trials.

The official further recommended that AT should be given full technical support by all local athletics coaches.

Nyambui was adamant the selected athletes should enter camp outright and that there should be mutual communication between all athletics stakeholders. 

The legend noted: "Up to now only one local female athlete has attained the qualification for African Junior Athletics Championships, I have seen the qualification time set by CAA."

"It is difficult for our junior athletes to attain them, for that reason, I'm calling upon all local athletics coaches to use their brains so the country can have many junior athletes in the Zambia showdown, we must work together, put our egos aside, it's time for the nation's pride," he said. 

Responding to Nyambui's suggestions, Ndaweka said the former's opinions are good but they are out of time.

He said CAA communicated to AT that deadline to send names of athletes who attained qualifying time for the Zambia showdown is April 3, thus, any trial happening after the mentioned date will not be acceptable. 

Ndaweka acknowledged that it is tough for many EAAR U-20 athletes to attain the qualifying time for African Junior Athletics Championships.

"I must confess, the CAA Junior Athletics Championships qualifying time are very difficult this year, not only difficult to our local athletes but also to many others from the EAAR region, including the seniors, there are few of them that can attain the time," the AT official revealed.

"Of all athletes who competed in the EAAR Championships, few female athletes qualified for the 1500m and 5000 meters while few males qualified for 100m, 200m, 1500m, and 5000 meters," Ndaweka pointed out.

The AT official stated: "Postponing the trials for one week to give coaches chance to prepare their athletes well is a good idea but it is out of time, CAA has written us that all performances must be achieved from January 1, 2023- April 2, 2023."

"All performance must be achieved during an official competition organized in conformity with World Athletics (WA)," he said.

He said the only hope for Tanzania is in the 800m and 1500m categories and added that some potential U-20 athletes did not compete in the EAAR Championships.

"Depending on the outcome of the trials, we plan to send six to eight athletes in the U-20 category to CAA Junior Athletics Championships in Zambia," the AT official noted.

"We have hope in our athletes who did well in 800m and 1500m and there are also some U-20 athletes with the potential of qualifying but they did not compete in the EAAR Championships, we hope they can do well in the trials and attain the qualifying time," he said. 

For the U-18 athletes, Ndaweka said there is no qualification time attached to this group but AT will send only athletes who have the potential to become prominent in the sport.

"U-18 has no qualification time but as AT we are not after quantity we are after quality, so we will only send athletes, who are showing the potential of becoming prominent in the industry, to CAA Junior Athletics Championships in Zambia," the AT official revealed.

He noted: "We are doing this because U-18 is the stage where a coach can either make or break an athlete, taking an athlete whilst fully knowing that he/she will not perform well helps to break that athlete."

"Poor performance, in most cases, makes an athlete lose hope and interest completely," he said.