adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
MYSTERY surrounds the identity of Team Zimbabwe athletes for the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games amid fears that the selection of the 206-member squad might not be transparent. The squad might not be a true representative side as the selection process for most disciplines appeared to favour certain regions.
Authorities have been shifting goal posts for the past two weeks when asked to produce the teams’ lists despite the fact that the deadline for submission of names to the regional organisers was five months ago.
Even though Bulawayo is the host city, some disciplines have been holding weekend camps in Harare with head coach for the boys’ Under-17 football team Tafadzwa Mashiri telling Chronicle Sport yesterday that he too will be holding a training camp in Harare this weekend. “Because of logistical reasons like proximity issues, we’ve been holding our camp in batches in the capital but this weekend we hope to have the whole team in training camp in Harare,” said Mashiri.
Indications are that a majority of athletes are coming from the capital and other regions with very few from the host city and its surroundings. The technical line up only has an assistant coach from Bulawayo Sithethelelwe Sibanda for women’s football team.
Bulawayo has the best junior development infrastructure and has in recent years led the war against age cheats with Mkhululi Mthunzi, Sakhelene Nxumalo and Dumaza Dube at the forefront.
Efforts to get the Team Zimbabwe list hit a brick wall because the Chef de Mission Garikai Sebastian, a teacher at Prince Edward High School has not been forthcoming.
On Wednesday morning last week Sabastian said the list was going to be availed in the afternoon and referred Chronicle Sport to Chiedza Mafunga but she too was not forthcoming with the list.
“The list is not yet ready, we are making some corrections,” said Mafunga without elaborating.
Meanwhile, fixtures for the boys and girls’ football matches as well as netball have been released. The Zimbabwe Under-17 boys football team will get the ball rolling against Malawi at Luveve Stadium before South Africa takes on Botswana in girls’ football at the same venue.
The official opening will be held at Barbourfields Stadium just before Zimbabwe’s Young Mighty Warriors take on holders Zambia.
Fixtures:
Boys’ football
Dec 5: Malawi v Zimbabwe (Luveve, 9AM)
Dec 6: South Africa v Zambia (Luveve,11AM), Zimbabwe v Mozambique (Barbourfields, 3PM), Lesotho v Seychelles (Luveve, 4:30PM), Swaziland v Malawi (Barbourfields, 7PM)
Dec 7: Namibia v South Africa (Luveve, 2:30PM), Angola v Zimbabwe (Barbourfields, 3PM), Zambia v Lesotho, 4:30PM), Mozambique v Swaziland (Barbourfields, 7PM)
Dec 8: Seychelles v Zambia (Luveve, 11AM), Malawi v Mozambique (Barbourfields, 3PM), Lesotho v Namibia (Luveve, 4:30PM), Swaziland v Angola (Barbourfields, 7PM)
Dec 10: South Africa v Lesotho (Luveve, 11AM), Namibia v Seychelles (Luveve, 4:30PM), Zimbabwe v Swaziland (Barbourfields, 3PM), Mozambique v Angola (Barbourfields, 5PM)
Dec 11: Zambia v Lesotho (Luveve, 2:30PM), South Africa v Namibia (Luveve, 4:30PM), Angola v Malawi (Barbourfields, 5PM)
Dec 12: First semi-final (Luveve, 2:30PM), Second semi-final (Barbourfields, 5PM)
Dec 13: Third place play-off (Luveve, 4:30PM)
Dec 14: Final (Barbourfields, 530PM)
Girls Football
Dec 5: South Africa v Botswana (Luveve, 11AM), Zimbabwe v Zambia (Barbourfields, 5PM, official opening ceremony day)
Dec 6: Zambia v South Africa (Luveve, 2:30PM), Namibia v Zimbabwe (Barbourfields, 5PM)
Dec 7: Botswana v Zambia (Barbourfields, 5PM),
Dec 8: Botswana v Zimbabwe (Luveve, 2:30PM), Zambia v Namibia (Barbourfields, 5PM)
Dec 10: South Africa v Namibia (Luveve 230PM),
Dec 11: Zimbabwe v South Africa (Luveve, 11AM), Namibia v Botswana (Barbourfields, 3PM)
Dec 12: First semifinal (Luveve, 2:30PM), Second semi-final ( Barbourfields, 3PM)
Dec 13: Third place play-off (Luveve, 2:30PM)
Dec 14: Final (Barbourfields, 3PM)
Netball:
Dec 6: Botswana v South Africa (White City, 9AM), Namibia v Swaziland (White City 2PM)
Zimbabwe on bye
Dec 7: Botswana v Zimbabwe (White City, 9AM), South Africa v Swaziland (White City, 11AM)
Namibia on bye
Dec 8: Botswana v Namibia (White City, 9AM), Swaziland v Zimbabwe (White City, 11AM), South Africa v Namibia (White City, 1PM),
Dec 9: South Africa v Zimbabwe (White City, 9AM), Botswana v Swaziland (White City, 11AM), Zimbabwe v Namibia (White City 1PM)
Dec 10: Bronze medal match, Position 3 v Position 4 (White City, 9AM), Gold medal match, Position 1 v Position 2 ( White City, 11AM)
Team Zimbabwe technical team:
Swimming:
Girls’ manager (Tracey Doorman), Boys’ (Gareth Desomd), Girls’ coaches (Deborah Wetzlar, Cheitimu Phiri), Boys’ coaches (Masiadi Takaedza, Anneke Chan Jack)
Basketball
Girls’ manager (Margret Jabungwe), Boys’ Manager (Eric Banda), Girls’ coaches (Sam Mutsvangwa, Mxolisi Ndlovu), Men’s coaches (Tawanda Chitsinde, Tapiwa Mungunyana)
Netball
Manager (Virginia Mutanda), Coaches (Ropafadzo Mutsauki, Simbarashe Mhlambo)
Football
Girls’ manager (Precious Tarakino), Boys’ manager (Patrick Muteswa), Girls’ coaches (Langton Giwa, Sithethelelwe Sibanda, Daniel Kabanga), Boys’ coaches (Tafadzwa Mashiri, George Madira, Laban Kandi )
Athletics
Girls’ manager (Precious Tarakino), Boys’ manager (Benson Samu ), Girls’ coaches (Lisimathi Phakamile, Braid Bhunu, Silas Muringani ), Boys’ coaches (Njere Shumba, Adelaide Dube)
Athletics for the visually impaired
Girls manager (Chipo Chikwature), Boys’ manager (Kudzai Shava), Girls coaches (Mildred Baye, Constance Munemo, Mapula Ndlovu), Boys’ coaches (Washington Nyamukapa, Maxwell Madzure, Obert Mapako )
Judo
Manager (Smart Siyazimba), Coaches (Simba Mashayi, Mapula Ndlovu, Sydney Chibwaya)
Boxing
Manager (Petros Masiyambumbi), Coaches (Mphilisi Moyo, Stephen Masiyambumbi)
Medical team
Ben Karongo, Dorothy Masawi (Doctors), Samson Chavhe, Ethel Ndondo (Nurses), Farai Muguwe, Sharon Mukumbuzi, Christyna Tambanemoto, Tapfuma Mudawarima, Olivia Gwaze, Christine Mutangadura, Dalubuhle Nyoni (Physiotherapists), Pauline Tshuma, Loveness Tembo (Rehabilitation Technicians), Joe Bizure (Nutritionist)
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