adminThe London Games will run from 27 July to 8 August.
Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer, Anna Mguni said there was no logic in bringing the overseas based athletes home for camping as most of them have their own coaches with better facilities compared to what they might face back home.
“Most of our athletes are actually competing on regular basis and have their own technical people and programme and really there is no point in bringing them here ahead of the London Games and besides, camping has some financial implications as well,” said Mguni.
On the promised ceremonial kit for use during the opening and closing ceremonies, Mguni said they were now at design level and the kit would be ready within the next couple of days.
“We had to consult the athletes first to find out what they needed and now we are at design level while also looking for funding to release the kit once its ready. I am quite positive we will get the necessary funding for the job,” she said.
The ZOC head of secretariat said at the moment there was no specific number of athletes that will go to London as there was still time for more athletes to qualify as the cut off date was 8 July.
So far seven athletes have qualified with the eighth, Ngoni Makusha still a possibility following an injury although Mguni is still hopeful that he will make it.
Swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry, Michele Thornycroft and Jamie Frazer in rowing, Wirimai Juwawo, Cuthbert Nyasango and Sharon Tawengwa in Marathon have secured their air tickets to London while there is still room for triathlete Chris Felgate and tennis player Takanyi Garanganga.
“There is still one slot for tennis and even though their cut off date was 14 June, there is still hope that the federation might extend an opportunity for us to have one more athlete,” said Mguni.
Meanwhile, the head of the International Olympic Committee has warned that any athlete not prepared to compete against a rival nation for political or religious reasons in London will be heavily punished.
The intervention of the IOC president, Jacques Rogge, comes after an Algerian athlete withdrew from a race against an Israeli rival during a recent World Cup canoeing regatta in Duisburg, Germany.
Rogge said that all 200-plus nations that will be represented in London had been warned that only serious injury would be accepted as an excuse for not competing and that sanctions would be taken against any athlete who pulled out of a competition for other reasons. Suspicious withdrawals will be examined by a panel of medical experts.
“We have just told all the national Olympic committees that we expect all the athletes to respect the schedule of competition and not to pull out without a good reason for competing against an athlete of another country,” he told the Guardian.
“If nation A does not appear at the competition against nation B we will ask for an explanation. If the explanation is not satisfactory and valid at the end of it and is not credible then we will go into cross-examination by an independent medical board. And if the medical board says it is not a genuine reason then sanctions will be taken. That is quite clear.”
The IOC has reminded its members of their responsibilities in the wake of an incident in which Algerian kayaker Nasreddine Baghdadi stopped paddling and returned to the dock during a 1 000 metre heat that included an Israeli competitor, Roei Yelling.
Online Reporter