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Bukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
THE country’s swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry is favourite to land the Team Zimbabwe’s captaincy for next month’s Africa Games. The prestigious continental Games will run from September 4-19 in Brazzaville, Congo.
Coventry, who is presently participating at the international swimming federation (FINA) World Championships in Kazan Russia and has already qualified for next year’s Rio Olympic Games, has been shortlisted for the captaincy with US- based Gabriel Mvumvure and Ngoni Makusha.
The 29-year-old Makusha who is based in Florida is the national record holder in 100 metres with a time of 9.89seconds which he obtained in Des Moines in 2011. He is also Zimbabwe’s long jump record holder with a leap of 8.40m registered in 2011.
Louisiana based Mvumvure, 27, has been to the international stage having participated at the 2013 World Championships and has a personal best of 9.98 seconds in 100m which he ran in Monteverdi Florida in 2013.
Team Zimbabwe marketing and publicity manager David Simba yesterday said they will announce the captain after communicating with the successful individual on Monday.
“The technical team identified three possible athletes for the captaincy and they are winding that up. I’m sure by Monday, once they’ve communicated with the prospective captain they will announce the skipper’s name,” Simba said.
Sixty local based Team Zimbabwe athletes will be going into camp from August 27-31 before leaving for Brazzaville which is playing host to the 11th edition of the Africa Games.
Team Zimbabwe is made up of 100 athletes and 20 officials. The 40 foreign based athletes will fly direct to Brazzaville.
The country will 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 month, tennis players who will represent Zimbabwe in the men’s category Takanyi Garanganga, Benjamin Lock and Mark Fynn raised the country’s medal hopes at the continental Games 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 will 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 are 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.
Online Reporter