A nine member team of athletes will compete in the two-day Southern Region Senior Track and Field championships to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe starting on July 02, Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association (LAAA) secretary general Kokolia Mokonyana, has announced.

Mokonyana said the athletes were chosen from teams that participated in the Botswana Senior Track and Field national championships in May this year while and the Southern Africa Schools Sports Association competitions held in Namibia earlier this year.

The five women and four men will be competing in the 100, 200, 400, 3500, 5000 as well as 10 000 metres events and in long, high and triple jumps, javelin, shot put and discus.

The championships are meant to prepare athletes for the forthcoming International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) championships to be hosted by Finland in August this year as well as the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia early next year.

All Southern Africa member countries are expected to participate in the Harare competition, Mokonyana said.

Meanwhile, a competition to promote athletics at junior level will be held at the Setsoto stadium on June 25, and all districts athletics teams except Mafeteng which has not yet affiliated with LAAA are expected to participate.

The Under 20s competition will be part of preparations for African Junior Championships scheduled for Egypt in September this year.

14 June 2005