Malawi’s female athlete Asimenye Simwaka’s Tokyo Olympic qualification dream has been reviitalised after getting a timely invitation to compete at the Championship this weekend. The 22-year-old athlete’s hopes for global showpiece qualification were misty following the indefinite postponement of the African championships initially scheduled for Algeria from June 22 to 26.
Simwaka, who is within touching distance of making history as a first Malawian to qualify for Olympics on Merit, left the country on 16th alongside Coach Pachisi Nyasulu.
However, male athlete Stern Liffa, who also stood a good chance of qualifying, did not travel to Cameroon as he is still nursing an injury he sustained during a tournament in Zambia last month. Relief was the prevalent emotion for Simwaka who is set to compete in 400m category. In an interview before departure, the athlete said she is set for the tournament.
“Preparations have gone on well and I am eager to realise my dream of qualifying for Olympics”
Simwaka Said
On his part, Nyasulu said Simwaka has been training hard ahead of the competition. He said: “Of course, we had a draw back as she got ill at one point in the course of the preparations, but she is back on her feet again and raring to go. “We have been working a lot on her finishing and that has to do with strategic running on how she can reserve enough energy to finish strongly. So, we are hoping for the best (because) definitely, it is her last chance and owning to good weather and her form, it should happen”.
Nyasulu Said
Simwaka and Lifa made history by becoming the first local athletes to qualify for the 2021 African Athletics Championship following their stellar show at the All Comers track and Field event in April this year where Lifa, 21, won Bronze in 100metres after clocking 10.36 seconds to beat his previous personal record of 10.58 seconds to beat his previous personal best of 10.58 seconds. The qualifying standards is 10.44.
Simwaka clinched bronze in 400m after clocking 52.59 seconds and the qualifying standard was 54.6 seconds. Story by Garry Chirwa