adminissuing a passionate appeal to emerging Zimbabwean athletes to rise and shine for their country on the big stages.
Zimbabwe’s most decorated international sporting ambassador was honoured with a cash prize of more than US$2 500 for her heroic achievements at the ongoing 10th All-Africa Games here after completing her tour with a personal haul of four gold and four silver medals. The money was presented to the 28-year-old World and Olympic champion by Agrippa Mutambara, Zimbabwe’s
Ambassador to Mozambique, during a brief ceremony held at the team’s quarters in the Games Village on Saturday night.
In attendance were all the country’s representatives at the 10th edition of the quadrennial sports extravaganza plus Kathy Lobb, the “mother” of swimming in Zimbabwe who was here in her official capacity as a senior African aquatics administrator.
Coventry got US$500 for each conquest and US$250 for her individual silver medal before sharing the US$1 440 awarded for the other three silver medals won by the relay team that also featured Nicole Horn, Samantha Welch and Kirsten Lapham.
The South Africa-based swimmer expressed gratitude for the cash gesture and rallied her compatriots to continue working hard to realise more success from sport.
“I would like to thank our officials in Team Zimbabwe for helping us put up this fantastic show. The morale among the athletes has been quite high in camp,” she said.
“I would also like to challenge the young generation of athletes coming up in Zimbabwe to work very hard because success only comes if you put more effort in your preparations.
“Lastly I would like to wish the remaining competitors in our team all the best for the rest of the Games.”
Horn (22) was the second biggest money-earner on the night after walking home with US$860 cash, of which US$500 was for two silver medals and the remainder for her part in the relay exploits. The 16-year-old Welch will also have enough for her pocket money this term after receiving US$125 for the bronze medal she garnered and US$360 for the three relays. Coventry won the first and last medals for her country in swimming, with her final strike coming from her favourite 200m backstroke event on Saturday evening, in which she finished first in a time of 2.40.12 and added to the three golds she had already bagged for the 100m backstroke and 200m and 400m Individual Medley events. Remarkably, Coventry also went for the 100m butterfly which, though not her regular event, still produced a silver medal before the terrific partnership she formed with Horn, Welch and Lapham that claimed second spot in the 4×100 freestyle, 4x100m IM and 4x200m freestyle.
The swimmers’ fine display left Zimbabwe perched among the top five countries on the medals table at the halfway stage of the Maputo Games and also earned their technical team of Gareth Desmond, Lorna Railey and Tyrone Steward U$500 in gratuity before the entire delegation departed for home yesterday.
Medal Tally
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
| 1 | South Africa | 44 | 29 | 27 | 100 |
| 2 | Egypt | 10 | 5 | 7 | 22 |
| 3 | Tunisia | 9 | 16 | 7 | 32 |
| 4 | Algeria | 7 | 12 | 17 | 36 |
| 5 | Zimbabwe | 4 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Kenya | 4 | 5 | 9 | 18 |
| 7 | Senegal | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
| 8 | Cameroon | 4 | 1 | 8 | 13 |
| 9 | Nigeria | 3 | 8 | 8 | 19 |
| 10 | Mauritius | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 11 | Botswana | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| 12 | Angola | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 13 | Seychelles | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 14 | Mozambique | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 15 | Congo | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 16 | Mali | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Namibia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | DRC | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | Ghana | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 20 | Ethiopia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 21 | Lesotho | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 22 23 |
Sao Tome/Principe Uganda |
0 0 |
0 0 |
1 1 |
1 1
|
Online Reporter