By Tapiwa Chawagarira
HARARE — Zimbabwean track stars Makanakaishe Charamba and Ashley Miller Kamangirira are set to compete against the world’s best athletes at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hungary, this weekend.
The prestigious three-day competition brings together an elite field featuring Olympic champions, world champions, Diamond League winners, and leading performers from the 2026 season.
Charamba leads Zimbabwe’s challenge in the men’s 200m on Sunday, arriving in Budapest in impressive form after finishing third at the Diamond League Final last week.
The 24-year-old Olympic finalist also made a major statement by defeating reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, setting up another highly anticipated clash with the Botswana star in Budapest.
Charamba will first have to negotiate the semi-finals before chasing a place in the 200m medal final later on Sunday.
Kamangirira, meanwhile, will compete in the women’s 400m hurdles semi-finals on Saturday, with a place in Sunday’s final at stake.
She enters the championships with increasing international confidence after securing a podium finish at the ISTAF Berlin Continental Silver Meet in Germany.
Her recent European success followed an outstanding performance at the Felix Sanchez Classic in the Dominican Republic, where she won gold and set a meeting record with a time of 54.19 seconds.
Both athletes are beneficiaries of Olympic Solidarity scholarships as they continue their preparations for the next major stages of their careers, including the 2027 World Athletics Championships and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
For Zimbabwe, participation in Budapest provides another opportunity for its emerging track stars to test themselves against the world’s best on the global stage.
