The National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe have moved their awards to next year.
The event was initially pencilled for last November.
However, NAAZ president Tendayi Tagara said it was now expected to take place in the first quarter of 2025.
“The preparation of the awards is completed in terms of the technical aspects, selection of athletes, short-listing them, officials, and coaches. That has already been done.
“We are waiting for the finalisation in terms of the budget for the event. That’s what we are now working on, and we are pushing for the event to be in the first two months of the year in 2025.
“Definitely we are going to have the event; that’s what we are finalising, the administrative part of it,” said Tagara.
The national awards returned on the NAAZ calendar this year with the athletics mother body honouring athletes who excelled in 2023.
The awards had been shelved for more than 20 years. Some of the categories to be awarded include Athlete of the Year, Senior Men Athlete of the Year, and Senior Women Athlete of the Year.
It’s the same scenario for the juniors — men and women. The association will also honour outstanding coaches and officials, among other categories. Some of the favourites for the 2024 awards are sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba.
The United States-based athletes had an outstanding season, with the major highlight being their qualification and participation at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in August.
They reached the men’s 200m final at the Games. Makarawu had, in June, won a silver medal in the 200m for Zimbabwe at the Africa Senior Championships in Cameroon.
They are likely to be joined by marathon runner Isaac Mpofu, who placed 19th at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Mpofu is the reigning Athlete of the Year from the previous awards.
Triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya is also among the top runners after claiming a silver medal at the Africa Senior Championships.
United States-based Vimbayi Maisvorewa and Ashley Kamangirira are among the favourites to be honoured in the senior women’s section. Kamangirira reached the 400m hurdles finals at the continental meet in Cameroon.
Tagara said they remain optimistic as they shift focus to 2025. NAAZ recently held coaches and officials’ courses in Bulawayo to prepare for the new season.
“The courses in Bulawayo went on well. We had a full house for the Level Two course.
“We had coaches from Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana, and Eswatini; that made up the class, plus Zimbabweans.
“The Level One, which was conducted by Lisimati Phakamile, had 37 participants, and then the technical officials had 67 participants for the TOECS (Technical Officials Education and Certification System) course.
“We are happy for the coaches who turned up for Level One and TOECS as part of their preparation for the 2025 season because some had to prepare their athletes before schools closed.” They are looking at holding more courses early in the year, in 2025.
“We are now planning for another course at the end of January, as officiating courses start in February. We had some coaches who could not make it because some were out marking examinations for ZIMSEC.
“So, we are organising another course at the end of January as part of our preparations for the 2025 season. In April we will be having Level Two courses.
“So, we are quite busy in terms of preparation for those things,” Tagara said.