Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga-Zimpapers Sports Hub
AS the 2025-2026 aquatics season takes off, Zimbabwe Swimming chairperson Zanele Nkomazana has said they are going back to the basics, with main focus on training to ensure athletes are in a better position to compete at major events.
Some of the provinces are just getting their programmes underway for the season.
The local season was on break but some of the swimmers have been involved in various regional and international meets.
Recently Zimbabwe participated at the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships in Eswatini.
Prior to that Zimbabwe Swimming had teams at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships in Romania between July and August.
As the local season begins, Nkomazana said focus is on training to ensure their swimmers are ready for the big stage.
“So, we are off World Aquatics competitions. From now on, there is no World Championships until December next year when we have our World Short Course.
“So, starting from the top, what does it mean? Our seniors must focus on training. And trying to qualify for World Short Course next year in December. That’s the first thing.
“So, our planning (for the) season focused on more training and more improvement for our seniors because the next big competition is next year in December.
“We are regrouping all the athletes and encouraging them to train.”
Nkomazana said the general feeling is athletes are lacking adequate preparation when it comes to major competitions.
While they have had encouraging performances at some of the regional and continental meets such as the Zone IV Championships, African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games, and Africa Aquatics Junior Championships, it has been a different case when it comes to the global stage.
The swimming chair believes there is room for improvement at the various levels of competition.
“For us, it’s about preparedness for competitions, which we think was lacking. So, we need to make sure our athletes are notified in advance and they prepare. They train for the competitions.
“We have Region 5 Games in Maputo, in December (next year).
“So, our focus then now, locally mainly, is to make sure we put a squad together now. We are not waiting for Team Zimbabwe to give us a signal to put a squad together.
“We are working on putting a very, very long list for Region Five Games now. And also throw them into training. Train hard and then when the time comes, we make a selection.
“We will have, obviously, Zone IV Championships in September next year, in Botswana. We have been told it’s in September again.
“It also gives us more time to prepare for September, though the disadvantage with September is that our schools then, our swimmers will have to be doing winter sports and they will be doing less swimming because of, obviously, lack of heated pools.”
Swimmers have the South African National Championships, Level Two and Level Three galas among other events to look forward to and the Senior African Championships.
However, the immediate task is the African Youth Games scheduled for Angola, in December this year.
“Our focus at the moment is the Africa Youth Games to be held in Angola.
“We have selected a team and submitted to Zimbabwe Olympic Committee for Angola consisting of five girls and two boys, sadly.
“We do not have boys qualifying for teams obviously we are competing with rugby, we are competing with cricket.”
Nkomazana, however, said they should see some change next year as they are reaching out to some of the boys interested in coming back to the sport.
