HARARE – United States based triple jump star Chengetayi Mapaya has promised to put up a strong show he hopes will put Zimbabwe on the world map in the 2022 World Athletics Championships set to begin this Friday in Eugene, Oregon.
The Championships will run from this 15-24 July.
Zimbabwe will be represented by Mapaya and Tinotenda Matiyenga who will compete in the 200 metres category.
But the spotlight will be on Mapaya, who last week jumped 17.26 metres at the NCAA event in the host city to cement his participation at the world stage for Zimbabwe.
It was the fourth best time so far this year, making the star one of the competition’s favourites ahead of the championships.
“Attitude of a champion but I hustle like an underdog. Ready for my redemption at the World Championships in a week. Zimbabwe to the World!” Mapaya said.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Mapaya had announced himself to the world when he won the gold medal at the 2017 Under-20 African Championships in Algeria, setting a new record with a 16.30 m jump.
Zimbabwe, a regional powerhouse in athletics for the past two decades, has been struggling to produce athletes in the mould of Samukeliso Moyo, Ngonidzashe Makusha, Steven Muzhingi to name just a few.
The emergence of Mapaya and his compatriot Matiyenga will certainly be a redemption for a country that is yearning to bounce back on the athletics world map.
