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TENNIS Zimbabwe has named an eight-member provisional squad competing for four places to represent the country at the December African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games to be held in Bulawayo. Fifty-eight days are left before the regional Games roar into life from December 5-14 in the City of Kings. The United States of America-based trio of Courtney Lock, Ronzai Saurombe and Taremeredzwa Mariga are competing for the two boys’ slots with Allwyn Mushonga of Mutare.
It is the world class training the US-based trio are exposed to that gives coach Freeman Nyamonokora hope of emerging victorious at the end of year Games.
Nyamonokora said he would trim his squad after three weeks.
Professional tennis player Valeria Bhunu, Nicole Dzenga who is ranked within the top 200 in the International Tennis Federation junior world rankings, Zimbabwe’s number one Under-18 star Karren Musvere and Rufaro Chirewa are contenders for the two girls’ berths.
“I believe the squad that we have shortlisted is the best as they have been competing in ITF tournaments for a while. They have been regularly playing competitive tennis and I’m confident that whoever makes it into the team will win us a medal. We shall be reducing the squad to four with each category having two players each in the next three weeks,” said Nyamonokora.
He hopes to have the squad going into camp in mid-November when most players are done with ITF competitions.
Meanwhile, the local organising committee of the African Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Games has targeted religious groups who they have asked to “bless” the sports festival.
Prayer sessions will be held around the country on the weekend of October 18-19.
“As the countdown to the Games continues, we believe it is of paramount importance to seek blessings through prayers. We have written to different denominations asking them to pray for unity of purpose so that the Games become a success. We will not congregate at one place for God is omnipresent and for that reason, each religious group or church will pray for us at their places,” said Kennedy Ndebele, the LOC marketing director.
Some of the churches that have been asked to pray for the Games include prophet Blessing Chiza’s Eagle Life Assembly, Word of Life, Harvest House International, Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries headed by Prophet Walter Magaya as well as Prophet Makandiwa and Eubert Angel’s churches.
Traditional churches like Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, Brethren In Christ Church, the Seventh Day Adventist and Roman Catholic have also been requested to pray for the Games.
The prayer requests come hot on the heels of the national awareness that the local organising committee in conjunction with the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture are undertaking to promote the Games.
They are parading the official mascot Jumbo and are taking the Games’ torch to all provinces.The national campaign for the Games was rolled out last weekend in Mashonaland Central capital Bindura and this week they are headed for Mashonaland West headquarters, Chinhoyi. After that they will travel to other provinces with the last destination being Bulawayo.
Online Reporter