adminsmall team” of about 13 athletes to the world’s biggest sporting showcase.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee are also confident that Team Zimbabwe will reap more medals in London than the four – one gold and three silvers – that the country won at the last Olympic Games in Beijing, China, in 2008.
All the four medals came through the exploits of the country’s swimming icon Kirsty Coventry in the pool.
ZOC president Admire Masenda said they were also looking at setting aside US$25 000 for the team’s pre-Games training camp.
The Zimbabwe team for the 2012 London Games is likely to go for a pre-Games training camp a month before the Olympics in a city or country near London.
“Our preparations for the 2012 London Games are well on course and we’ve already spent quite a bit of money on the preparations.
“For instance, we spent US$80 000 to assist Team Zimbabwe in their preparations for this year’s All-Africa Games (in Maputo, Mozambique, in August).
“We also spent US$45 000 for the national hockey sides in their Olympic Games qualifiers that were held simultaneously with the All-Africa Games but both our men’s and women’s sides unfortunately failed to qualify for the London Games,” said Masenda.
The ZOC boss added that it was now imperative for the other Zimbabwean athletes, who they’ve earmarked to travel to London in July next year, to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games.
At the moment only three Zimbabwean athletes – swimmer Coventry, track and field star athlete Ngonidzashe Makusha and middle and long-distance runner Cutbert Nyasango – have already qualified for the London Games.
Masenda said Coventry has already set qualifying standards for the London Games in two swimming events – the women’s 200m backstroke and 400m individual medley.
Ngoni Makusha has also qualified to represent the country at the London Games in the men’s long jump. He achieved this at this year’s World Championships at Daegu, South Korea, where he won a bronze medal.
Masenda said Makusha is still working on his qualification (times) for the men’s 100m event.
The third athlete, Cutbert Nyasango, has qualified for the men’s marathon with a “B” Standard.
Masenda said they were expecting more athletes to qualify for the London Games, which are set to run from July 27 to August 12 next year.
“We are looking at the likes of sprinters Brian Dzingai and Gabriel Mvumvure, and two tennis players Takanyi Garanganga and Mbonisi Ndimande to qualify for the Games.
“Tennis players Garanganga and Ndimande will only qualify for the London Games if they get enough points on the (International Tennis Federation) circuit, leading up to the Games.
“We also have Chris Felgate who has to set qualifying standards for triathlon and the qualification competition for rowing will be held in Egypt in early November and we might have some rowers there.
“In fact, we still have a window period of until the middle of next year for our aspiring athletes to qualify for the London Games.”
The ZOC boss also said they have stepped up their fund-raising campaign for the London Games and have engaged the Government in this drive.
“There’s a major drive for fund-raising and we are working quite closely with the Government who have already expressed their willingness to support us in this campaign.
“We also need US$25 000 for the pre-Games training camp because it is critical to get your athletes close to the Olympic Games city for at least a month to acclimatise for the Games.
“What is critical is not getting (the athletes) to the Games but to reach the finals and win medals for the country.”
Masenda said they were aware that there was an expectation from the Zimbabwean people for Team Zimbabwe to win more medals at the London Games since a precedent was set at the last two Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 2004, and Beijing, China, in 2008.
At the 2004 Athens Games, Zimbabwe won three medals – one gold, one silver and a bronze – before going one better at the 2008 Beijing Games where Team Zimbabwe emerged with four medals – one gold and three silvers.
All these seven medals were won by the country’s swimming sensation Coventry.
But Masenda said they were expecting the likes of Makusha and Dzingai to come to the party and help Coventry to win the country more medals at the London Games, come July next year.
“In fact, Ngoni Makusha has already proved that he’s a worldclass athlete through his recent results at the World Championships in South Korea.
“(And) what is now important is for him to have adequate preparations for the London Games and this also need funding . . . We’ve to prepare our athletes well in order for them to go to London and get medals.”
Masenda said ZOC were looking at sending a team of about 13 athletes to the 2012 London Games.
“We are currently toying with about 13 athletes but that all depends on who qualifies for the Games between now and the middle of next year. And that’s why we need to raise adequate funds for our preparations and participation at the 2012 London Games,” Masenda said.
At the 2008 Beijing Games in China, Zimbabwe was represented by 13 athletes in six disciplines – athletics, cycling, rowing, swimming, tennis and triathlon.
The 13 athletes who were part of Team Zimbabwe for the 2008 Beijing Games were swimmers Coventry and Heather Brand, sprinters Young Talkmore Nyongani, Dzingai, Lewis Banda, long jumper Makusha,
middle-distance runner Nyasango, marathon runners Mike Fokorani and Tabitha Tsatsa, tennis player Cara Black, triathlete Felgate, rower Susana Elana Hill and mountain bike cyclist Antipas Kwari.
Online Reporter