BY ADRIAN MWANZA –
SPRINTER Hazemba Chidamba’s will not be taking part in the 2017 London World Athletics Championships following world athletics body (IAAF) also canceling results of the race that qualified him to the world games.
This is the same race that saw sensational compatriot Sydney Siame make world headlines after he ran a then world leading time of 9.88 seconds in the 100m race at the Zambia Amateur Athletics Association (ZAAA) organised All-Comers Meet at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka in April.
In that race, Chidamba times 10.11, which qualified him to the next month’s world championships whose entry standard was 10.12 seconds.
Zambia Amateur Athletics Association general secretary Davison Mung’ambata said IAAF had maintained that they doubted the two athletes’ performance and that the drop of form was too much.
He confirmed Chidamba was out of the London Games.
Siame however, managed to qualify for the London meet in the 200m category after he ran at the Savo International Meet which was held on July 16 in Finland.
The sprinter clocked 20.36 seconds which enabled him to qualify for the London World Championships slated for next month beating the 20.44 qualifying time.
Chidamba has not taken part in another event which would enable him take part in the tournament after IAAF doubted his time.
Zambia would be represented by Siame and Africans 400m women champion Kabange Mupopo.
“These guys (IAAF) have maintained that the way the guys performed after qualifying for the championships was too drastic a drop in timing which prompted them not to recognise their times,” he said.
Mung’ambata said IAAF had remained adamant even after ZAAA had submitted all the documents including video footage of the event where the two runners qualified.
He said the ZAAA would continue to pursue the matter to ensure that it was resolved amicably because the whole process was handled by professionals who were qualified for the job.