Online Reporter
Innocent Kurira [email protected]
THE Panthers Academy international taekwondo competition got underway at Large City Hall in Bulawayo on Saturday, but the event has been reduced to a one-day local affair after the travelling international contingent failed to make it to the city.
The tournament had been billed as an international event, with athletes from 11 countries expected to take part as Panthers Academy celebrates its 19th anniversary.
However, with the visiting teams failing to arrive, organisers have pressed ahead with the competition, giving local practitioners an opportunity to battle for honours.
The development means athletes who had prepared for international competition will instead face fellow Zimbabwean competitors in a programme that is being held on Saturday only.
Despite the change, organisers have maintained the sporting spirit of the event, with competition taking place as planned.
The tournament had also been structured as more than a taekwondo competition, with mini boxing and aerobics forming part of the wider programme as Panthers Academy sought to turn its anniversary celebrations into a community sporting festival.
