Yesteryear greats with Lovemore Dube
AS he sat on the terraces of the massive Japoma Stadium in Douala, Cameroon, Zimbabwe athletes at the Senior African Athletics Championships seemed not to know who the Madala in the team was.
Partson Muderedzi did not help the situation with his demeanour. He is usually a quiet guy who opens up to those that he is close to.
The generation gap made it worse.
Muderedzi, an athletics legend, a sprinter of repute was manager of the team that scooped two medals at the Douala Championships.
Chengetai Mapaya and Tapiwanashe Makarawu won silver medals for the country and the legendary sprinter was happy to have been part of a successful mission.
Muderedzi who celebrated his 61st birthday in Cameroon, belongs to the generation of athletes who were branded as promising in the sport at the dawn of Independence in 1980.
It is no surprise that at the age of 19, he was deemed good enough to represent Zimbabwe at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games.
He belonged to a field of athletes from the mines who had watched a good number engage in legendary battles on the track and field in the 1970s and early 1980s.
He looked lost in the middle of the fans. He felt lonely with the reality that mines athletics was dead and buried in the country.
Ordinarily in the past on that occasion, he would have been a manager accompanying a field with athletes drawn from the mines and some from the police force.
Of the 10 athletes representing Zimbabwe, the script was different with the athletes from US universities and some from private clubs in the country.
“Yes it feels so different. This is a mark of changing times. The mines are no longer a dominant force in sports like athletics. In the past they dominated and I would have been here with guys who have run the Chamber of Mines.
“Their absence though could mean the shift in balance or exposure of how much talent we are losing out as the mines not only brought activity and numbers. In the past athletes lined up, for these big competitions would be from the mines, so a lot of talent has been lost out due to that.
“The absence of mines athletics activity means the quality of national runners is affected too. The rivalry among the mines meant that athletes competed against the best before big international events regularly,” said Muderedzi.
He was happy with the quality on display.
Muderedzi who grew up at Redcliff and attended both primary and secondary school in Torwood, regards the late Artwell Mandaza as having been the best sprinter in his days. He says if Mandaza had run during these days, he could have stood his ground and run world-class standards.
Mandaza was the first man on earth to run a sub-10 seconds 100m. This feat was achieved in South Africa in 1970 but his time of 9,99 seconds could not be accepted as a world record back then as organisers claimed that the wind speed was beyond what is acceptable.
But many believe that could have been on racial grounds.
“Mandaza is Zimbabwe’s best sprinter of all time. He was talented and born at the wrong time. He was dominant in the 100, 200 and 400m and was handy in both the 4×100 and 4x400m relays. Had he run in this era, he would be high up among the world beaters,” said Muderedzi.
He spoke highly of sprinters of Mandaza’s time who include the Mutize brothers, Clifton and Cliff, Boniface and Dera Magodo, Adon Treva, Charles Mafika, and Vuyani Fulunga Moyo.
“We were inspired by a generation of real yesteryears greats who excelled on the track and made us love running for sporting excellence. The mines’ competitions groomed and gave a lot of people jobs apart from entertainment to workers and dependants,” said Muderedzi.
Muderedzi started running at Form Three.
“I started running for Risco now Zisco when I was in Form Three. I represented the mine at the Chamber of Mines when I was in Form Three. Competition was stiff and there were a lot of good young guys and the veterans were still a factor,” said Muderedzi.
He ran alongside Carl Chicksen, Charles Gumbura, Njere Shumba, Charles Gombedza and Chris Madzokere.
Muderedzi ran the 110m hurdles at first and had a best time of 15,54 seconds before later graduating to the 100, 200 and the relays for which for over a decade Zisco was a factor.
Muderedzi ran at the Brisbane Games in 1982 and several African and regional championships and his last big competition was the Egypt All-Africa Games in 1991.
“I am happy to have raised the Zimbabwean flag a couple of times around the world. It was an honour to do so and I am happy the present generation is giving it their all. I was impressed with the athletes who were here (Douala), their discipline and work ethic,” said the legend who said Hwange Colliery and Zimbabwe 200 and 400m sprinter Elijah Nkala was one of his biggest rivals.
“We used to give each other a lot of competition. There were so many events in the country with each big mine having its championships. Athletes went into international competitions sharp, having polished up through several club and mine track and field championships,” said Muderedzi.
Muderedzi who is married and still lives in the Midlands, is the provincial chairperson of the athletics body.