Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE have retained a good number of athletes from the last edition of the Africa Sports Council Region 5 (AUSC) Games as they target to win at least 20 gold medals in this year’s competition.
The multi-sport jamboree is scheduled to run from July 4-13 in Namibia.
The country will this time around second both male and female football teams after failing to do so in Malawi in 2022 due to a FIFA banishment that was then in place.
Having finished fourth after accumulating 12 gold medals and 84 medals in total in Malawi, Zimbabwe are looking to better that in Namibia.
Their preparations have been top-notch with the AUSC Region 5 organisers reserving special mention for them.
Team Zimbabwe spokesperson Sheunopa Vushemakota, who is also the Sports and Recreation Commission commercial director, said the country was ready for the regional youth fiesta.
“The preparations are flowing smoothly. We are actually ahead of schedule in terms of our state of preparedness. We received a special acknowledgment from the Region for demonstrating exemplary leadership ahead of the AUSC Region 5 games,” said Vushemakota.
“As Team Zimbabwe, our target is to pick at least 20 gold medals as well as make sure that our athletes get fine-tuned for other upcoming international competitions like the Youth Olympics.
“We continue to call upon the corporate world to come in and partner with us in our efforts to package a professional and progressive sporting ecosystem.”
The availability of 24 athletes who were part of the cast in Malawi three years ago helps cement Vushemakota’s belief that the country will fare well in the meet.
Of the 24, 18 are swimmers, most of whom managed to win medals in Lilongwe, while there are also two judokas, three tennis players and a single netball star.
“There has been a deliberate scientific approach when it comes to monitoring and tracking athlete development and performance from SRC,” he added.
“That gives us confidence to expect an improved and satisfactory performance in Namibia.”
One of the retained athletes, mid-court netball maestro 18-year-old Ruvimbo Pawandiwa, expressed her keenness to help the netball team win gold.
She was the youngest player at 16 in the netball side that won bronze in Malawi and is currently with the Zimbabwe select side, the Zambezi Eagles doing duty in the Telcom League in South Africa.
“I am happy to make the grade for the AUSC Region 5 Games team for the second time running,” said Pawandiwa.
“I am confident that I will use my experience and hopefully win gold this time around.”
