Team Zimbabwe to converge

Senior Sports Reporter
SIXTY-ONE technical members of Team Zimbabwe for the forthcoming African Union Region Five Under-20 Games will tomorrow undergo a one-day induction workshop at Prince Edward High School in Harare.The Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Thabitha Kanengoni-Malinga, is expected to be the guest of honour at the event meant, among other things, to induct the technical members into the philosophy and expectations of Team Zimbabwe.

Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) corporate communications officer who is also the spokesperson for Team Zimbabwe Tirivashe Nheweyembwa said the inductees will have rules and responsibilities clarified so as to avoid unnecessary conflicts during the December Games that will be held in Bulawayo.

“We will also alert the coaches and managers on the technical preparations expected of Team Zimbabwe, the communication plan as well as a presentation on the whole team preparations,” said Nheweyembwa.

He said the medical team, made up of 14 medical experts will present their medical plan that should include issues to do with anti-doping.

Said Nheweyembwa: “Like every organisation, we will also tackle the issue of the code of conduct expected of Team Zimbabwe and as a wrap up we need to come up with critical milestones of what is expected to be done after the induction workshop right up to the hosting of the Games.”

Team Zimbabwe has 47 coaches and managers that will take charge of athletes from the eight sports codes that athletes will compete in. Nheweyembwa said the road to the Games has already started with athletics coaches selected having been to all competitions held so far and will continue doing that in their search for athletes, which he said should be based on merit and where necessary using the Zambia Games’ times as the benchmark for selection.

The spokesperson said Team Zimbabwe needed to get it right in individual sport codes like tennis, judo, individual track and field events.
“All the codes are important for us but if we conquer in individual races like in athletics where an individual athlete can compete in three races then I think our chances of stopping South Africa’s dominance will be bright,” said Nheweyembwa.