Vusumuzi Dube
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWEAN golfer, Scott Vincent has qualified for next month’s Tokyo Olympics after he managed to remain in the top 60 in the Olympic Golf Ranking.
The 29-year old Vincent finished 51st when the cut off for golf qualification was done on Monday. On Tuesday, he was announced as one of those that have qualified for the Olympics.
Golf at the Olympics will take place at Kasumigaseki Country Club from 29 July to 1 August for men and 4-7 August for women.
Vincent’s qualification means that Zimbabwe now has five athletes confirmed for the Tokyo Olympics. On Saturday, Zimbabwe Olympic Committee announced athletes for the universality slots. Zimbabwe received two universality slots from the International Swimming Federation (Fina) for a male and a female. Donata Katai and Peter Wetzlar were chosen to fill up those slots with the confirmation to come from Fina on 2 July.
In athletics, the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe (Naaz) has been offered a universality slot by World Athletics with Ngoni Makusha, a 100m sprinter chosen in that discipline.
Peter Purcell-Gilpin secured the rowing slot after the internal selection process initiated by Rowing Association of Zimbabwe.
The men’s 4x100m relay team has one more chance to seek qualification. They have been offered a slot in Nigeria on Saturday and Sunday with full package sponsorship from the Nigeria Federation.
According to ZOC, triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya had qualified in terms of the official ranking but reports from America is that he has picked up a terrible injury requiring 12-14 weeks for rehabilitation, which effectively rules him out of Tokyo 2020.
@Mdawini_29
Online Reporter