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Ellina Mhlanga–Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Swimming chair Zanele Nkomazana believes the ongoing Africa Aquatics (CANA) training camp in South Africa will help prepare their athletes for the upcoming continental and international competitions.
Zimbabwe have nine swimmers — Andile Mhlope, Mikayla Makwabarara, Nathan Ngwenya, Onesimus Ngwenya, Tafadzwa Chandiwana, Benjamin Rorke, Matida Musere, Tanatswa Chandiwana and Tawanda Chisungo — attending the training camp.
They are accompanied by coach Phawulani Ngwenya.
The training camp got underway on Sunday in Mbombela, South Africa, and is running until the weekend. It is being led by head coach of Swimming South Africa Graham Hill.
“For starters, we have got a lot of continental championships coming up like the Junior African Championships.
“So most of the swimmers in there (are) trying times to qualify for the Junior African Championships that will be held in Sudan in September. And also FINA World Championships in Japan, in July, and the African Games. So this is a preparation for that.
“Unfortunately, we can’t do this for our own swimmers here in Zimbabwe because of obviously financial challenges. But the idea really is to bring in all those Olympics coaches to Zimbabwe, then we can have more of our swimmers participating in the training camp.
“So besides (the fact) that they meet other athletes from the continent, it teaches them how to prepare for the competition, obviously training, how they eat, how they rest, the whole athlete training per se in the water and outside the water,” said Nkomazana.
CANA fund two athletes per country to attend the camp but countries can send additional participants if they can afford.
For Zimbabwe, seven of the swimmers and the travelling coach funded themselves to be part of the training camp.
“Unfortunately, we have to self-fund. They (CANA) only funded for two swimmers, so the others and the coach self-funded. We have nine swimmers and a coach.
“So these are the swimmers who met the (required) level to attend the training camp, and who volunteered. It was (based) on who can afford obviously and who is available.
“Some are committed with school, some couldn’t afford, so these are the swimmers who were available and who could afford and who were at that level. It’s a high performance programme,” said Nkomazana.
Nkomazana said they are looking forward to the swimmers sharing their experiences when they return.
With the Senior National Championships scheduled for next month in Bulawayo, it will be a platform to put to practice what they would have learnt in a competition set-up before they embark on major events.
“So we are waiting to see how they perform, they are like our trial test. We want to see how they perform at our nationals in February and obviously whatever they bring, they will share with their coaches here and their fellow athletes back home.
“And our travelling coach obviously will also bring some wealth of information to share with the other coaches here back home,” Nkomazana said.
In their invitation letter to their members, CANA indicated that they would want to assist athletes from the continent prepare and improve their performances for the upcoming competitions.
“CANA has decided to provide an opportunity for our athletes to improve on the performances and to prepare them adequately for these major events.
“Athletes will be provided with the opportunity for two pool sessions per day, gym sessions and a series of lectures on various topics to assist with the preparations for the major competitions,” reads part of the invitation letter from CANA.
Online Reporter