New swimming season begins

Lovemore Dube Sports Editor
BULAWAYO swimmers will have their first plunge in the City Pool on Friday to mark the beginning of the new season.
There is a lot of optimism on what is to come and provincial chairman Eddie Cyprianos believes they are close to the jackpot.
Swimming is a sport clamouring for Kirsty Coventry’s replacement.

Over the past decade Coventry has been an international icon winning several international titles including Olympic gold medals.
“Soon we will have swimmers with the potential to swim at international competitions. That will be the result of the development work at provincial and national level. We have good swimmers who are coming up and these galas are set to improve them for the future,” Cyprianos said yesterday.

He said the first competition of the season would be this weekend with boys and girls in the Under-10 and over age-groups taking part.
Bulawayo clubs taking part will include Baracudas, BG Dolphins, Crusaders, Falcon, SOS and Penguins.

Friday’s event will be the first of many galas lined up with six set aside for seniors and three for juniors to be competed for at Hillside Teachers’ College.

“We are looking forward to a good season, it should be a fantastic time, all clubs have worked hard in the off-season. Our biggest event will be the Matabeleland Championships on 28 November to 1 December. The Matabeleland Junior Championships are set for 1 February,” said Cyprianos.

An open event for those swimmers under the age of 12 will be held at City Pool on 28 September.
“These do not necessarily need to belong to any club. Others will be on 5 October and 6 November with the Junior Nationals set for 8-9 March next year,” he said.

The senior national championships are set for 13-17 February next year.
Cyprianos said selectors were working on identifying the best talent for next year’s international championships. The South African Level Three Championships have been the dream competition for the most outstanding local talent over the years.

Added incentives for next year are the Zone Six Championships which Zimbabwe will play host to in Bulawayo.
Bulawayo has a number of promising swimmers who include the Cyprianos brothers Denilson, Andy and Brendon, Maryke Koen, Georgina Roberts, Savannah Roberts, Olivia Ronsefels, Siduduziwe Mswabuki, Grant Smith, Eden van Wyk, Takudzwa Chitima, Norah Tagwireyi, Mieke Koen, Anesu Sebastian, Dave Van Der Berg, Ashby Tink, Jordan Lezar and Kristy Simon.