Team Zim welcome party

part of celebrations to welcome Team Zimbabwe to the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The gala, which includes a football tournament, children’s funfair and fund-raising raffles, has been organised by the Zimbabwe Diaspora Olympics Support Network (ZDOSN) and Rollers Club on behalf of the country’s Olympics governing body — the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
The event is set for tomorrow and chairman of the ZDOSN, Knox Chitiyo, has rallied all Zimbabweans living in the Diaspora to come and support Team Zimbabwe in their search of medals at this year’s Olympics.
“London 2012 Olympic Games represents an opportunity for the Zimbabweans in the UK to celebrate our sporting talent, our culture and welcome our sports personalities to our adopted home for the greatest sporting event on the planet.
“Team Zimbabwe 2012 Family Fun day is an opportunity for us to support Team Zimbabwe 2012 ahead of the opening ceremony and will reflect our values and objectives as a nation.
“Our role as ZDOSN is to provide morale and community support to the Zimbabwe Olympic team and ZOC. Through various outreach initiatives, we aim to increase Zimbabwean and wider public awareness and engagement with Team Zimbabwe.
“We are here to promote Team Zimbabwe and through our links with the wider African diaspora, to also celebrate London 2012 as a global event,” said Chitiyo.
One of Zimbabwe’s celebrated Olympians Tawanda Chiwira, who represented the country in the men’s 100m event at the 2004 Sydney Olympics, has endorsed the event, rallying all Zimbabweans to attend and help fly the Zimbabwean flag high in support of Team Zimbabwe during the London Games.
Chisora, the Zimbabwe-born British boxer, is also expected to grace the same occasion with the talks still in progress.
“Chisora could possibly be there but we haven’t got final confirmation,” said Henry Makiwa, one of the event’s organisers.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority have also come on board supporting the event by sponsoring the “Zimbabwe World of Wonders” football tournament.
“We have spiced-up the fun with a small football competition, so bring your football studs along if you’re given to kick about. Ladies who are keen on netball can likewise bring their kits too,” said ZTA spokesperson, Felicia Munjaidi.
There are lot of prizes to be won during this Saturday’s event and many activities have been lined up such as “gochi-gochi”, story-telling and face painting for kids, a meet and greet photo booth with sports stars as well as fund-raising initiatives for Team Zimbabwe.
Most members of Team Zimbabwe, led by chef de mission Busi Chindove, are already in London preparing to take part in the 2012 Olympic Games that are set to run from July 27 to August 12.
In London, Zimbabwe will be represented by a delegation of 25 people comprising of seven athletes and 18 officials. The seven athletes that will be carrying the Zimbabwean flag during the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza are the country’s swimming icon Kirsty Coventry, marathon runners Cutbert Nyasango, Wirimayi Juwawo and Sharon Tavengwa, triathlete Chris Felgate and rowers Micheen Thornycroft and James Fraser Mackenzie.
Thornycroft and Mackenzie are already in London with their manager Rachel Davies while Felgate is only expected to fly into the British capital next Wednesday. At the London Games, Felgate will be competing in triathlon and the competition takes place on August 7 at (12:30pm Zimbabwean time) at the Hyde Park.
The competition format is such that it is a single race and there are no heats.
Meanwhile, Coventry, who will be the country’s flagbearer during the official opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games next Friday night, will arrive in the British capital on Monday.
She will also have enough time to prepare for her first event at these Games — the women’s 100m backstroke heats — on July 29.
Apart from competing in the 100m backstroke, Coventry will also represent Zimbabwe in two other swimming events — the women’s 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley.
Coventry’s three other teammates in Team Zimbabwe, long-distance runners Juwawo, Nyasango and Tavengwa will only arrive in London during the first week of August.
Juwawo and Nyasango, who will represent Zimbabwe in the men’s marathon at the London Games, are currently preparing for this event at home and will only leave for the world’s biggest sporting showpiece on August 5. The men’s marathon race will be run on the last day of the London Games on August 12.
The women’s marathon will be staged a week earlier on August 5 and Zimbabwe’s representative in this event, Tavengwa, will be flying out to London on July 31 from her training base in Kenya.