Zim team for CANA champs

Ellina Mhlanga,Sports Reporter

AS the National Senior Swimming Championships get underway this evening at Bulawayo City Pool, the CANA Zone IV team to represent the country at the regional event next month are taking this opportunity to polish up their build-up.

Zimbabwe named a strong team for the CANA Zone IV Championships to be hosted by Botswana from February 20 to 23 with the likes of Denilson Cyprianos, Donata Katai, Nomvula Mjimba, Saira Ramajan and Paige van der Westhuizen headlining the 35-member team.

Team manager Noe Cyprianos said the national gala gives them the ideal platform to finalise the events for the swimmers ahead of the regional competition.

“We are hoping that our swimmers have been training throughout the festive season because the swims that they going to be doing in Botswana are all going to be determined after the national gala starting tomorrow (today).

“So it will be good as team manager to also see where the swimmers are, you can sort of predict how we are going to do in Botswana.

“At the moment we are not really certain (of the events) because what we used is we used times for the galas that they have taken part in. But because the national (competition) is like the top gala for the season, so every swimmer brings in their A game. So after nationals that’s when we will be certain. Now we have a bit of an idea but it can change after this gala,” said Cyprianos.

Denilson Cyprianos, Katai and Van der Westhuizen were part of the four-member team that represented the country at the FINA World Junior Championships last August in Budapest, Hungary.

“This time around Zimbabwe is sending a very strong team. We have got some swimmers that have taken part in the highest competition in the world that are going for CANA, so we are very upbeat. I am sure we are going to do very well. We haven’t sent a very strong team like this one in many years.

“There is actually plenty (of promising swimmers). We have got Paige van der Westhuizen and Denilson Cyprianos, they actually took part in the FINA World Juniors in Budapest in August and they are also going for the CANA.

“We have got senior swimmers, especially in the boys who have qualified to swim in South African Senior Nationals, they are also going for that tour. So we really have a strong team. We are hoping to bring back the Cup,” said Cyprianos.

The national event is running until Sunday and swimmers of different age-groups that have qualified for other events such as the South African Senior and Junior Championships are taking the chance to assess themselves and some are pushing for qualification.

 

Zimbabwe’s CANA Zone IV Team

Girls 11/12: Tori Dawe, Peyton Wishart, Mikayla Makwabarara, Loyiso Mahobele.

Boys 11/12: Limbikani Kalipengule, Khaya Vimba, Sean Reilly, Kyle Heyns, Patrick Duff.

Girls 13/14: Timea Schultz, Mkhuseli Mahobele, Vhenekai Dhemba, Kiara Goodinson, Saira Ramajan.

Boys 13/14: Bjorn Mhlanga, Tichatonga Makaya, Tawanda Chisungo, Onesimus Ngwenya.

Girls 15/16: Paige van der Westhuizen, Riana Rollo, Nyasha Chinyani.

Boys 15/16: Cory Werrett, Callum Morgan, Jasper Mpofu, Jake Oostindien, Nathan Ngwenya.

Girls 17 and Over: Nomvula Mjimba, Siobhan Jones, Gemma Schonken, Courtney Brown.

Boys 17 and Over: Denilson Cyprianos, Quintin Tayali, Joash McKonie, Brett Jones, Tait Mills.