South identifies Para Athletics Championship reps
Ten paralympics athletes have been identified to represent the Southern Region during the inaugural Para Athletics National Championship in Lilongwe in September.
The battle for the national slots at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre last weekend saw the region’s top-36 para-athletes contesting in T11, T12 and T13 categories of track events but only the 10 made the grade.
In men’s 200 metre (m), James Tchale and Blessings Jonas from Chiradzulu excelled in T12 and T11 events after crossing the finish line in 27:14 seconds and 30:32seconds respectively, while Mangochi’s Ndaziona Barnet did it in T13 in 28:70 seconds. Mphatso Kadzuwa, also from Mangochi, won the T11 event in 29:59 seconds.
Chikwawa-based Jennifer Winston, who contested in T13 event, triumphed in the women’s 200m in 33:40 seconds as Bertha Nyson (Mulanje) and Harriet Doviko (Chiradzulu) earned the T13 and T12 slots, in that order, in 35:20 seconds and 36:49 seconds.
In 100m contest, Chancy Moses from Chiradzulu was the winner in men’s T13 as he crossed the line in 12:50 seconds. Bridget Meta and Eunice Phiso from Mulanje will represent the South in T13 and T12 sections. Their finish times were 15:56 seconds and 14:93 seconds respectively.
“This is the final selection for the national championship from the South. These para-athletes were impressive in their performance and we have no doubt that they will as well do well at national level,” said Joseph Galanje, chairperson of Malawi Paralympic Committee’s (MPC) affiliate Para Athletics Committee (PAC).
He said Central Region and Northern Region are expected to conduct their final qualifiers this weekend.
Tchale said he will do anything possible to win gold during the national championship. n
