WATCH: Tennyson Primary School celebrates milestone

Lovemore Dube, Zimpapers Sports Hub

MILLICENT Dhlula, the Tennyson Primary School in Bulawayo headmistress had all the reasons to walk tall on Friday morning.

She oversaw her school play host to Milton Junior School in a first-ever inter-schools swimming contest held at Tennyson in over two decades.

The swimming pool which had lay in derelict for over 20 years was refurbished last year to give birth to a sport popularised by International Olympic Committee boss Kirsty Coventry’s exploits in the first decade of the millennium.

Inspired by another Girl Child, Dhlula made it her mission to revive the sport by working with her staff and the School Development Committee (SDC) to see to it that they create and live a lasting legacy at the school.

The pool was refurbished and commissioned by the Bulawayo Metropolitan education boss, Bernard Mazambani.

Dhlula said she is happy that her dream has come true and that the sport will be elevated, with other surrounding schools without the facility to benefit.

“We have revived and resuscitated our swimming pool ,which was opened last year 2024 by the PED (Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Provincial Education Director), Bernard Mazambani. We decided to have our first event, the inter-schools, before this, we had inter-house competition, which was a highly successful one,” said Dhlula.

She said her school, wants to promote all sporting disciplines and appreciates that swimming develops children both physically and emotionally.

“As a school, we want to promote all our athletes in all sporting activities, swimming is a special sport, it develops the child physically and emotionally,” said the headmistress as competition continued on the background.

She continued: “Under all odds, we have achieved, what we have achieved as a school is what others failed to,” said Dhlula with pride as swimmers from Milton Junior and her school out swam each other on a sunny Friday afternoon.

She praised sport’s positive impact to pupils.

She highlighted that the uptake to the sport by the kids at her school was overwhelming with participation from Early Child Development Level to Grade Sevens.

Parents have been very supportive and are happy about the pool and swimming introduction.
Rosina Mavudzi, the school’s sporting director was happy too to have her team clash with Milton.
She said over 60 children are active in the sport.

A parent, Talent Mutungwazi-Gumbi expressed her delight at the school’s achievement. She said she was happy that the sport had rebounded at the school.

Mutungwazi-Gumbi acknowledged that the sport is marginalised nationally.
Tennyson Primary School

Inter-Schools Swimming Gala results
Individual Meddley
U12 Girls 100m

1. Ntethelelo Nyoni (Tennyson) 02:28:28

2. Cleopatra Muhambi (Tennyson) 02:51:75

3. Taylor Smith (Tennyson) 03:08:09

U12 Boys 100m

1. Tawanda Sithole (Milton) 01:40:08

2. Sebastian Ngove (Milton) 01:51:75

3. Alex Zirabada (Tennyson) 02:14: 68

Open Individual 50 m

1. Anokuda Madzivire (Tennyson) 1:14:08
2. Carlton Makhubalo (Tennyson) 1:19:45

3. Anotida Zimburani (Tennyson) 1: 49:53

U11 Mix Butterfly 50m

1. Shelton Ngove (Milton) 1:10:79
2. Yolanda Bambera (Tennyson) 1:49:65

3. Nomasonto (Tennyson) 1:53:09

U12 Boys Butterfly 50m

1. Tawanda Sithole (Milton) 00:57.28

2. Ryan Njovu (Milton) 1:08:31

3. Alex Zirabada (Tennyson) 1:20:51

Open Butterfly 50m

1. Njabulo Gumbi (Tennyson) 1:08:57

2. Anotida Zimburani (Tennyson) 1:20:48

U9 Mix 25m backstroke
1. Lionell Ndlovu (Milton) 00:34.34

2. Taisha Mangena (Tennyson) 00: 59:66

U10 Mix 25 m backstroke
1. Shelton Ngove (Milton) 00:22:22

2. Heather Manuel (Tennyson) 00:53:55

U11 Mix 25 m backstroke

1. Sebastian Ngove (Milton) 00:49:06

2. Takudzwa Mukusha (Milton) 1:15:75

3. Yolanda Bambera (Tennyson) 2:19:88

U12 Backstroke Mix 50m

1. Tawanda Sithole (Milton) 00:57:47

2. Ryan Njovu (Milton) 1:27:03

3. Chantel Dube (Tennyson) 1:42:29
U11 Breast stroke Mix 50m

1. Sebastian Ngove (Milton) 00:47:41

2. Blessing Mhlanga (Tennyson) 1:51:10

3. Cleopatra Muhambi (Tennyson) 2:01:64

U12 Breast stroke Boys 50m

1. Tawanda Sithole (Milton) 00:51:50

2. Alex Zirabada (Tennyson) 1:1:79
3. Daniel Nyamande (Tennyson) 1:31:85

 

Open Breast stroke 50m
1. Carlton Makhubalo (Tennyson) 1:11:33

2. Anokuda Madzivire (Tennyson) 1:17:06

3. Victoria Dzinyembe (Tennyson) 1:19:89

U9 Mix Breast Stroke 25m

1. Lionell Ndlovu (Milton) 00:30:03

2. Luthando Sibanda (Milton) 00:36:77

3. Taisha Mangena (Milton) 00:40:06.