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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
TEAM Zimbabwe will only hold a five-day camp next month before flying out to Congo Brazzaville for the 11th edition of the Africa Games from September 4-19. Swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, sprinters Gabriel Mvumvure and Ngonidzashe Makusha are part of the 100 athletes that will represent the country at the continental Games.
Team Zimbabwe marketing and publicity manager David Simba yesterday said 60 local athletes would be going into camp from August 27-31 while the foreign based representatives will fly directly to Brazzaville.
Simba defended the decision to have a five-day camp saying it was cost effective since the athletes were already training at their bases.
“We will travel with 100 athletes and 20 officials for the Games. About 60 athletes will be going into camp from August 27-31 in Harare at a venue yet to be decided and we will meet the overseas-based athletes in Brazzaville,” said Simba.
“The beauty about the programme that has been drafted is that the athletes are already training at their bases with doctors and technical managers visiting them to monitor their progress and health. We are confident that the squad will make Zimbabwe proud,” he said.
Zimbabwe would be represented in 11 sporting codes – athletics, beach volleyball, cycling, football (men), gymnastics, judo, karate, swimming, tennis, taekwondo and sport for people living with disabilities.
Last weekend, tennis players that will represent Zimbabwe in the men’s category, Takanyi Garanganga, Benjamin Lock and Mark Fynn, raised the country’s medal hopes following impressive wins against Moldova in the Davis Cup Euro-Africa Zone II play-off.
The women’s tennis team is made up of Valerie Bhunu, Rufaro Chireva and Pauline Chawafambira.
The national men’s basketball team would be making their maiden appearance at a continental meet, while the Young Warriors, who knocked out African soccer powerhouse Cameroon, are also medal hopefuls.
Some of the athletes that will represent the country include the cycling duo of Helen Mitchell and Skye Davidson, Philip Rufasha (taekwondo), the pair of Lazarus Arufandika and Sidney Chibwayi (judo) and karate quartet of Innocent Gaini, Winstone Nyanhete, Gerald Muhusha and Nesu Hlahla.
Meanwhile, the Sports and Recreation Commission will hold a fundraising dinner in Harare on August 14 in a bid to raise part of the $700,000 needed for the Games.
Simba said memorabilia for sports icons, who include Peter Ndlovu, Kirtsy Coventry, Byron Black and Benjani Mwaruwari, will be auctioned at the dinner.
Online Reporter