Zimbabwe’s team to Tokyo Olympics unveiled in virtual event, country sending five athletes, 13 officials to Japan

Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter

THE five athletes to represent the country at the Tokyo Olympics were officially unveiled at a virtual event on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe will be represented at the Olympics that get underway in Japan on 23 July by the swimming duo of Donata Katai, Peter Wetzlar, sprinter Ngoni Makusha, golfer Scott Vincent and rower Peter Purcell-Gilpin.

While Vincent as well as Purcell-Gilpin directly qualified for the Olympics, Katai, Wetzlar and Makusha are heading to Japan on universality slots.

Lindsy Cole is the swimming coach, Makusha will be under the mentorship of Pakamile Lisimati while Vincent is going to Japan with Kelsey Vincent together with Zimbabwe Golf Association president Mufaro Chivonivoni. The rowing coach and manger is James Stephenson.

Fredrick Ndlovu is the country’s chef de mission, Memory Pakati will be in charge of administration and Abigail Mnikwa is the team physiotherapist. The country’s total delegation to Japan is made up of 18, that is five athletes and 13 officials.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Zimbabwe sent a delegation of 57 to Brazil, these being 31 athletes and 26 officials. The athletes were nine men and 22 women that competed in seven different sports. It was the nation’s largest ever delegation sent to the Olympics in a non-boycotting edition and the second-largest overall in history, a huge difference to the seven athletes who attended the London Olympics four years earlier.

Among the sports represented by the nation’s athletes, Zimbabwe marked its Olympic debut in equestrian and women’s football, as well as its return to archery after nearly three decades.-@Mdawini_29