All hands on deck – Zimbabwe Olympic Committee

Deputy Sports Editor

THE Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) have received assurances from both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Local Organising Committee that the 2020 Olympics will not only go ahead as scheduled, but all athletes and officials will be safe come July 23.

ZOC president Thabani Gonye said they had trust in the guarantees they had been given.

“According to the Tokyo 2020 president, Seiko Hashimoto, she is 100 percent certain that the Games will go ahead,” said Gonye.

“It is also the view of the IOC that we will have ‘safe and secure Games’ as per the Covid-19 counter-measures guidelines on Playbook version.

“ZOC fully trusts both the IOC and the Tokyo 2020 organising committee and we are confident that the Games will proceed under safe and secure conditions.

“We are preparing accordingly for Team Zimbabwe’s participation at the Games.”

As qualification deadlines have lapsed, attention has shifted to preparations for the competition.

Zimbabwe will be represented by six athletes.

Two slots each have been given to rowing and swimming, while Scott Vincent and sprinter Ngoni Makusha will compete in golf and athletics, respectively.

There will be no camp for the team, while each athlete is expected to depart for Japan according to their schedules.

“Our plans and preparations are guided by strict adherence to the Covid-19 counter-measures playbook, and ZOC will be supporting the athletes and officials to have access to vaccinations and Covid-19 tests prior to their departure.

“The travel to the Games will be planned based on each athlete’s first event, as athletes are required to arrive in Tokyo not more than five days prior to their events as per playbook guidelines.

“There will not be a camp prior to the Games and each athlete’s preparation plans will be as best suited to each sport as guided by the athletes and relevant national federations.”

This is arguably one of the smallest contingents the country has sent to the global sports showpiece, a point that has not gone unnoticed by the Olympic body.

However, Gonye believes the coronavirus pandemic is to blame.

“There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on the qualification process and competition opportunities available to our athletes. The competitions were very limited due to travel restrictions and lockdown procedures in many countries.

“This did not only affect the competitions alone, but also training and preparation time.

“We had a few athletes who were affected and could have qualified if they had managed to compete in various events.

“Also the psychological effect that the pandemic and the Games’ postponement had on the athletes cannot be underestimated.”

He said there is need for some introspection once the Tokyo Games are done and dusted.

“Our target for now is to support our athletes the best way we can.

“In as far as the small number is concerned, it is our view that this situation is a reality check for our sport.

“Going forward, we will be coming up with a new strategic plan for 2025 and this will focus on aligning our course for 2025 to 2028,” added Gonye.

The Olympic Games will run from July 23 to August 8.