adminFreeman Razemba in WINDHOEK, Namibia
THE ZIMBABWE Republic Police athletics team has so far scooped 11 gold medals at the on-going eighth edition of the Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Co-operation Organisation Games here.Team Zimbabwe have so far won 13 silver and 10 bronze to take their tally to 34 with such talented athletes like Trust Chidomaya, Olivia Chitate and Kennedy Chibwana, among the leading medal winners.
Zimbabwe are hoping to make it a three success stories on the trot after emerging as the best in Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 2009 and 2011 editions.
ZRP is battling it out with 12 other Sadc police teams in seven sporting events — athletics, darts, chess, football (men and women), netball, volleyball (men and women) and tennis.
The team is led by the ZRP Sports Association chairperson Mekia Tanyanyiwa.
Team manager Takawira Nyamukoho is satifeid with the way the games have gone so far.
“From home we had predicted that we must obtain 12 gold medals and at last we are assured of defending back the SARPCCO trophy.
We are now having 11 gold medals while we still have two more events, that is the half marathon and the cross country, and according to our plans everything went well,” he said. Nyamukoho said the performance of the athletes has been excellent.
“It’s wonderful to see young women and men trying to sacrifice their lives in the track for their country. The commitment exhibited by them is commendable. I would like to thank them for their performance on behalf of team Zimbabwe,” Nyamukoho said.
He assured the nation that the Team Zimbabwe would defend the championships title.
Mbada Diamonds, which sponsored the team with tracksuits, t-shirts, caps and satchels, promised to give US$200 to each member of the team that wins a gold medal.
SARPCCO comprises 14 member states and was started in 1994 in Swaziland during the regional seminar for police executives before being formally established in Victoria Falls in 1995.
About 195 officers and officials of which 81 are females, left the country last Friday.
In 2011, ZRP won 55 medals, 19 gold, 16 silver and 20 bronze, becoming the regional champions in the games held in Lubumbashi, DRC.
Nine countries — DRC, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, Zambia, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe — battled for honours in athletics, soccer, netball, men and women’s volleyball, darts and chess.
Online Reporter