London games countdown

representing the country at the world’s biggest sporting showcase next month.
The 2012 London Olympics are scheduled to start on July 27 and with 30 days to go yesterday before the start of the Games, the British Embassy in Harare, through their Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Deborah Bronnert, helped in the facilitation of smooth travelling arrangements for Team Zimbabwe by having their biometrics entries in place.
For this year’s Olympic Games, members of the Olympic Family are required to enroll their biometrics (10-finger scan and a digital photo) on arrival in London.
And if they have enrolled their biometrics in advance, like what some members of Team Zimbabwe did yesterday at the British Ambassador’s residence in Harare, they will undergo a quick two-finger biometric scan to confirm their identity upon their arrival in London for the Games.
The UK Border Agency is keen to collect as many biometrics as possible before the 2012 London Games and it introduced an Olympic Family Visa for members of the Olympic Family wishing to travel to the UK on Olympic business prior to the validity of their Olympic identity and accreditation card.
This multiple-entry visit visa is valid from the date of issue until November 8, 2012 and permits stays in the UK of up to six months.
And addressing guests, who included officials of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee and some members of the Zimbabwean delegation, including journalists, who will be accompanying Team Zimbabwe to the London Games, at a function in Harare yesterday, Bronnert said during the month of July and August, there will be a lot of people travelling to London thus the need to have a biometric-entry facilitation.
“Today, we are marking the 30-day countdown to the 2012 London Olympic Games and we are very excited to see ourselves there and hope it’s going to be a very wonderful event.
“Throughout the whole world, delegations and athletes for the Olympic Games and the Paralympics Games are asked to come to our (British) Embassies for their biometrics entries facilitation so that there will be (some) smooth entry into the UK.
“During the month of July and August there will be a lot of human traffic into London and there is need to smoothen the travelling arrangements for the people who will be arriving there for the Games,” Bronnert said.
ZOC president, Admire Masenda, the organisation’s chief executive, Anna Mguni, and the chef de mission of Team Zimbabwe for the London Games, Busi Chindove, were among the first people to have their biometric entries processed at the British Ambassador’s residence in Harare yesterday.
Kathy Lobb, who will also be travelling to the London Games as the assistant chef de mission of Team Zimbabwe responsible for the rowing team, and female rower Micheen Thornycroft and her coach Rachel Davis also underwent the same process yesterday.
Not to be left out was the Mayor of Harare, Muchadeyi Masunda, who   indicated yesterday that he will be travelling to London for the Olympics next month in a personal capacity.
“I’m going in my own capacity for the passion of the Games. I’ve paid for my own flight to go to London to watch this year’s Olympic Games,” Masunda said.
Team Zimbabwe is scheduled to leave for London on July 15 and the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart, is expected to be the head of the Zimbabwean delegation for the Games.
Paul Damasane, the principal director of Sport, Arts and Culture, and the Sports Commission chairman, Joseph James, are also expected to be part of the Zimbabwean delegation that will be travelling to London for the 2012 Olympic Games.
So far, seven athletes — swimmer Kirsty Coventry, marathon runners Wirimayi Juwawo, Cutbert Nyasango and Sharon Tavengwa, triathlete Chris Felgate and rowers Jamie Fraser-Mackenzie and Thornycroft — have officially qualified to represent Zimbabwe at the London Games.
ZOC are expecting more Zimbabwean athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games during this week’s 18th African Senior Athletics Championships in Benin.
In Benin, Zimbabwe are represented by five sprinters — Francis Zimwara, the United States-based duo of Gabriel Mvumvure and Brian Dzingayi, Anthony Hobwana and Marvin Bonde.
At the last Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008, Zimbabwe were represented by 13 athletes who were led by swimming icon Coventry, who fished out four medals – one gold and three silvers – for her country at these Games.