adminThe Games will run from July 27 to August 9 and so far six athletes — Kirsty Coventry (swimming), Ngoni Makusha, Sharon Tavengwa, Cuthbert Nyasango (athletics), Jamie Frazer McKenzie and Micheen Thornycroft (rowers) — have qualified for the showpiece.
ZOC chief executive, Anna Mguni, said they managed to raise US$11 000, approximately through entries, pledges, donations and auction.
The national committee has set their budget at US$500 000.
“At this moment we have raised about US$11 000 on Friday, we are still doing the finances. This event was organised in two weeks and we were very lucky to get space at Royal Harare, which is usually fully booked.
“We advertised the event and 26 teams we had invited expressed interest but 25 came and that was 100 people on the course.
“It was very well supported, the turnout and support was fantastic and we are grateful.
“We got three areas that we still need support. We need the ceremonial team kit, for example when you walk into the opening ceremony. We also need support for transport, the travel is partially funded by the International Olympic Committee but we are still short on that.
“The third one is the incentives for the athletes, we know our athletes in the past have done well. We have a certain level we incentivise our athletes and we felt the business community should know that we still need support,” said Mguni.
Mguni said the event was also meant to celebrate the adoption of golf as an Olympic Sport at the XXVI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
“It was an important event in that golf after 2012 will be an Olympic Sport, so it was an important and positive way of promoting golf for 2016.
“It was also a way to raise awareness for Team Zimbabwe, ZOC and its programmes.
“We don’t just focus on the Olympics but we also have community programmes. We want to build a relationship with the business community to realise the value of sport,” said Mguni.
The ZOC boss said they are hopeful of seeing more athletes qualifying for the Games and noted that athletics has the potential to produce more representatives for London since their season has just started and their cut-off date is in July.
Online Reporter