The World Harmony Run participated in the Harare Athletic Board Track Meet on Sunday 12 March. Hundreds of young athletes from the greater Harare region ran with the torch and World Harmony Run banner at the Zimbabwe National Stadium track. The organizers of the event, Mr. Curren T., Chairman and Mr. Sailas Muringani, Treasurer of the Harare Athletic Board were enthusiastic about the goals and activities of the WHR.

A glorious day: the sun blazed down upon the 350 athletes who competed in over 102 events. Throughout the day school teams joyfully passed the torch from one to the next in between their events. The athletes and the WHR team about the Run and what it means. Shailaja had her hands full as teams vied to hold the torch and have photos taken.

The award ceremony began with a World Harmony Run lap around the stadium track. Athletes, lead by former Olympian 100 meter runner Artwewl Mandaza, current 100 meter champion Sandra Chimwaza, and David Tinago, 400 meter national champion for 18 and under, enthusiastically ran with the World Harmony Run Torch and banner passing the torch among the athletes. First place awards were ceremoniously handed out by the officials including Ms. Angela Nyaundi, national coach and member of the Olympic Committee for women’s sports. The HAB was pleased to receive the World Harmony Run participant certificates, which were given as first place awards to the 102 winners. The colorful WHR certificates contained the name of the athlete, the event and their winning time.

At the closing ceremony the event organizers thanked the World Harmony Run for the contribution made to the events of the day and invited us to open the Harare, Zimbabwe Provincial Games on the next Friday. The organizers were very pleased to have the torch held by Olympian Artwewl Mandaza, 100 meters (10.2’) Zimbabwe Champion who had been inducted into the Zimbabwe Hall of Fame and who had gone to the Munich Olympics in 1972. Artwewl was the first black Rhodesian to be sent to the Olympics by the Rhodesian Government, a historical moment in Zimbabwe’s (formerly Rhodesia) history. But the current political events of the day would overshadow the Olympic Games and the Rhodesian team was disqualified from competition.

Ms. Sandra Chimwaza

Ms. Sandra Chimwaza, 100 and 200 meter hopeful for the Beijing Olympics, ran with the World Harmony Run torch. Sandra is so fast that no male runner could catch Sandra that day as she finished first in the Men’s 200 meter open event. She currently holds all the current national best times for 100 and 200 meters, 11.5 and 24.35 respectively. An elite runner, Sandra has come in 4th place in the 100 meters at the All African Games in Nigeria. All!!!

David Tinago

David Tinago, 400 meter champion under age 18, also held the banner and ran with the torch as did Pardon Nhdolou, a 5000 meter cross country champion for under 18 years of age (14.53’). Pardon lapped his closest competitor at the provincial games on a 400 meter track in a field of 15 top regional 5000 meter runners. The World Harmony Run International Team wishes all the participating athletes the greatest success for their upcoming national and international competitions.

Friday, 17 March 2006

World Harmony Run opens the Harare Provincial Games. In the spirit of the Olympic Games National champions ran with the torch and the World Harmony Run banner and lead hundreds of athletes around the Zimbabwe National Stadium. Renaldo Naidoo, 100 meter and 200 meter under 18 national champion, and Gabriel Vumuoree, a talented multi-event champion, lead over 1000 athletes from over 30 schools who ran or watched as the World Harmony run opened the day’s events, the Harare Zimbabwe Provincial Championships. The winners of this day’s events would go on to compete in the National Championships in April and from there decisions would start to gel with regard to the Olympic participation as well. A generation of Zimbabwe’s best athletes have participated in the Harmony Run first hand and many have received the World Harmony Run certificate. We hope that their athletics and life will prosper in the true spirit of international harmony and understanding the very goal of the World Harmony Run.

Thursday, 23 March 2006

On the final day of the Word Harmony Run in Zimbabwe we were fortunate to have Abijatri and Balarka Robinson’s (South Africa core team) mother Lorna on road taking the World Harmony Run to the rural area of Murewa and to the Bally Vaughn Game Reserve. Her bravery in driving over the most treacherous and washed out roads was impressive as we drove into fields to avoid huge gaps in the road.

Gateway High School Students holding the Torch

Lions, leopards and other species were pleased to join in our photo sessions with the World Harmony Run torch and the young students from the Avondale Primary School who participated and ran with the torch at the Game Reserve. The children were so excited to hold the torch. One could immediately see that they knew it was something special, as millions have held the torch, including dignitaries such as Mother Teresa and President Michael Gorbachev. We had an opportunity to speak about the Harmony Run with the children and the teachers. The teachers were very interested and one teacher was familiar with the run as she had seen the World Harmony Run on television the previous year.

The World Harmony Run would like to give special thanks to the Robinson family, and Shailaja and Nivedita for their contribution to the success of the World Harmony Run in Zimbabwe.

We would also like to thank:

• the Millenium Track Club, especially Mr. and Mrs. Nyauyndi;
• the Harare Athletics Board, especially Mr. Sailas Muringani, Mr. Oberte Kaseke, Head of sports Headcliff High School;
• Ms. Grace Zvegona, chief Recorder;
• Mr. Bension Chauke, District P.E. Support and Culture Resource Manager and Mr. Partson Muderedzi, national coach.

Their support of athletics in Zimbabwe is invaluable and we look forward to seeing future champions in track and field from Zimbabwe as they continue to develop their very talented athlete.

Diksha with a friendly lion