Local athletes ready for Olympic Games

MARONDERA- Sprint Kings Athletics Club founders Artwell Simon and Carlos
Gurendende believe that they are now ripe for the Olympics Games that will be held
next year.
The two youths first met in Marondera in 2017 and started participating in both 100
and 200 metre track events. All along, Simon had been training and participating
alone in the 100 metre event until Gurendende challenged him.
In an interview at one of their training sessions at Ruware Primary School in
Marondera town, the athletes who have won several medals between them in their
short careers said one of their coaches, Benson Samhu identified the lanky Simon in
2014 and moulded him to become a worthy competitor on the track.
That same year, he participated at the Zimbabwe National Youth Games in the
ancient city of Masvingo and showed glimpses of his brilliance. The following year he
participated at the games again in Manicaland.
Simon won a bronze medal in the 200-metre track event.
At a time Simon was enjoying both sprint events, Gurendende emerged from
nowhere in 2017 and got the better of the sprint king at a 100 meter event.
This did not deter Simon’s resolve to be a better sprinter in the years that followed
shortly after and in 2020, he became the national champion in 400 meters track
event.
Together, the talented Zimbabwean athletes have traveled to many regional
countries like Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and recently South Africa.
"I recently traveled to South Africa for the Philditch tournament in May this year and
participated in 200 meters and 400 meters events and won gold medals in both
events. I then traveled to Ndola in Zambia for a tournament that saw quite a number
of athletes from several African countries taking part.
“I competed in the 400metre event where I deservedly clinched a gold medal after
finishing the race in 47.03 seconds. That was my best time ever since I took the path
of becoming a professional athlete,” Simon said.
Artwell Simon became the country’s best athlete in July this year after completing a
200metre event in 21.15 seconds in the Sasolberg Championship held in South
Africa.

Simon’s and Gwerengwende’s experience saw the duo setting up a club which they
named Sprint King. At the club, they spend most of their time training young athletes
in track events.
Their club has given female athletes a chance to show their mettle and they include
Lisa Mtandwa, Ruvarashe Nyakupinda and Tanyaradzwa Kakono. Ruvarashe
Nyakupinda recently traveled to Canada on a scholarship. Apart from her academic
studies, she will also be pursuing her dream of becoming a professional athlete.
As for Gwerendende, he managed to scoop a gold medal in Ndola, Zambia in a 100
metre event, a 100 metre bronze medal in Botswana and gold and silver medals in
100 and 200 metre events held in South Africa.
One of the female athletes they are grooming, Tanyaradzwa Kakono is into long and
high jump disciplines, even though she once participated in 4×100 metres relay in
2021 in Maseru.
"As a team we are appealing to the responsible Government Ministry (of Sport) to
help us have better recreational facilities that carter for athletics in Mashonaland
East province. Our major challenge is that we always have to travel to Harare to train
at the National Sports Stadium for speed work. We would like to thank Scott
Sakupwanya for his sponsorship when we hit hard times. His assistance helped us
to be in a position to travel and compete in other countries,” Simon said.
Their main focus is to compete in Olympics to be held in Paris next year.