Lovemore Dube [email protected]
LEGENDARY Bulawayo swimmer Denilson Cyprianos who participated at the Paris Olympics in 2024 yesterday said he is excited that Stingrays Swimming Academy of Bulawayo is sending a second swimmer to the Olympics.
He became the first product of the late Edmore Cyprianos’ near two decades old club to participate at sport’s highest level.
He will next week be joined by Kwandokuhle Nkomazana who is set to fly out to Dakar, Senegal for the Youth Olympics.
He said the opportunity represented a chance for the boy to try and raise his stock in the sport.
“We are very excited to be sending him to the Youth Olympics tomorrow. This is a momentous occasion and it’s a stepping stone in his journey to the Olympic Games, to conquer something to make something out of himself,” said Cyprianos.
Cyprianos said the club had a number of promising youngsters and that the future looked bright for Stingrays. He added that a lot of hard work was being put into developing swimming in Bulawayo and improving the standard of the sport.
“We want to propel this generation to a higher level,” said the legendary swimmer who at his peak held several club, provincial and national records.
Nkomazana was set to leave Bulawayo yesterday en-route to Dakar, Senegal where he will represent
Zimbabwe in the Youth Olympics.
The Youth Olympics are being held in Africa for the first time.
They will give the next generation of athletes a feel of the grander stage.
“Bon Boyage Kwando! Huge congratulations to our very own Kwando on qualifying! What an
incredible achievement! Wishing you travelling mercies and a wonderful experience in Dakar. Go
fly the Stingrays and Zimbabwe flags high,” wrote Stingrays in a social media post.
A visit to the Stingrays’ heated pool at the Cyprianos’ home in Khumalo on Friday found things very
much business as usual.
There was little to suggest that Nkomazana would be leaving for the big stage just a day later.
Nkomazana was receiving plenty of encouragement near the starting blocks, with Olympian
Denilson and coach Chipo Machemwa giving the youngster the motivation he needed.
Denilson took part in the 2024 Paris Olympics after a glowing career in American university sport.
“I have been training hard here with my friends and coaches. I have been working with Cyprianos
who has been to the senior Olympics, he has really helped me,” said Nkomzana.
Machemwa said Nkomazana’s success was more like a fulfillment of founding club director, the late
Edmore Cyprianos’ wish of sending athletes to the Olympics.
The swimming team consists of Alexis Johnsen, Connor Grist, Daniella Vikki and Kwandokuhle
Nkomazana.
