adminNgoni Dapira
THE dream of two Mutare-based endurance swimmers competing at the world’s largest open water swim, the Midmar Mile, to be held next month in South Africa is fast evaporating like morning dew due to financial constraints. Mutare businessman, Anwar Khan, best known for trading in second hand motor vehicle spare parts at his small shop uptown and Mutare Main Bath Swimming Pool lifeguard and swimming coach, Samson Mukombwe have been eyeing the prestigious international endurance swim, but financial constraints now stand as the major obstacle for the avid endurance swimmers.
The 2015 Midmar Mile open water swim which will be celebrating its 42nd anniversary will be held from February 7 to 8 in Pietermaritzburg.
Competitors swim over 1.6 kilometres (one mile) in Midmar Dam in various categories, Junior (Under-21), Senior (21-39), Veteran (40-59) and Masters (60 and above).
Each year, the event draws thousands of competitors, from international professional athletes, swimming Olympic medalists to recreational swimmers. Professional and Olympic swimming medalists like American star swimmer Ashley Twichell, South African-born British swimmer Keri-Anne Payne and Hungarian Katinka Hosszu were the highlight in the women’s senior race last year while South Africa’s Chad Ho who was defending his title was the highlight in the men’s senior division.
For Mukombwe, this will be his first Midmar Mile challenge in the Masters division, while Khan will be out to improve on last year’s performance where he won a bronze medal.
Competing after 20 years out of the game last year, Khan added another gong to his swimming achievements and wrote his own history as the first non-white in the masters division to compete in the endurance swimming race and win a bronze medal.
Khan who has a degree in water sports set-off his swimming career in 1986.
He, however, said he wanted to raise $500 and be able to compete with his swimming colleague, Mukombwe for this year’s event. The two have been training together since last year preparing for the event.
“We do 10 to 20 laps every week day and on weekends intensify up to 30 laps at the Mutare Main Bath Swimming Pool. Because of the strenuous economic times we cannot entirely foot all the costs required which is why we are extending the appeal to the corporate world and well-wishers to help us. This is an international event that will also put Zimbabwe in the limelight each time we participate,” said Khan on Monday. He added that he was keen to defend his bronze medal or even upgrade and carve his own record of successive victories.
“I aim to defend my title and improve on it so that I maintain my winning medals record among the non-white endurance swimmers in the history of the Midmar Mile Race,” he said.
In 2009, the Midmar Mile was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest open water swimming event after 13 755 competitors finished the race.
In order to handle the vast number of competitors, the swimmers swim out in five groups at three-minute intervals in eight separate mile races over two days. The group division a swimmer is assigned to is based on a qualifying time in a previous (qualifying) event, with the fastest group leaving first.
On the other hand, the 62-years-old Khan has one more hurdle he wishes to achieve in his athletic career as he aims to enter into the 2016 Dusi Canoe Marathon to be held in South Africa at the end of February.
The three-day 120km canoe marathon attracts between 1 600 and 2 000 paddlers each year, making it the biggest canoeing event on the African continent.
Khan said he was focused on pushing himself to the limits and hopes to represent Zimbabwe in the masters division.
Online Reporter