39 swimmers leave for crucial Zim tourney

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 10:01:15 +0000

By GRACE CHAILE-LESOETSA

THE 39-member Zambian swimming team is confident of winning medals at the CANA Zone IV swimming championships which starts tomorrow in Zimbabwe.

The swimmers left yesterday for Bulawayo by road for the biggest Southern African competitive tournament which runs from February 16 to 19.

Before the team’s departure at National Sports Development Centre (NASDEC) in Lusaka, Sports Council of Zambia board member Haroon Ghumra urged the swimmers to work hard and return with medals.

“This is a big international event, so discipline is of paramount importance in the swimming pool and outside. Be good ambassadors of the country. As this is a showpiece event, swimmers who excel in Bulawayo will no doubt go on to achieve bigger things in their swimming careers. Put in your best and come back with many medals,” Ghumra said.

Meanwhile, national team coach Ian Stephenson said the swimmers were mentally and physically prepared for the event.

“Our target is to win medals in each category. The morale is high among the athletes and we are determined to fly the Zambian flag high. We will definitely face competition from the hosts and South Africa but the target is to finish in first position,” he said.

Stephenson said the standards of swimming will continue to improve when athletes are exposed to such competitive tournaments.

“We have swimmers below the age of 12 competing in the tournament. The budding swimmers will get enough exposure and experience competing in events like the CANA Zone IV before hitting the senior level,” he said.

Participating countries include defending champions Mauritius, South Africa, Seychelles, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Angola, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and hosts Zimbabwe.

The team has:

U-12 girls

Kirstin MacDonald, Yasmina Fawaz, Jade Phiri, Paige Pollen, Anna Clara Azzoni , Gabriele Belenaviciute, Juliana Vidmar and Jade Street.

U-12 boys

Rikus du Toit, Liam Rumball, Matthew Lillie and Tyronne Moosa.

13-14 girls

Mia Phiri, Elizabeth Buys, Chibwe Phiri, Siona Maistrellis and Kirsten du Toit.

13-14 years boys

Brandon Rumball, Damien Shamambo, Darren Van Rensburg, Shaquille Moosa, Janus Du Toit and Tyler Prince.

15-16 boys

Adam Bosse, Altaaf Ismail, Butemwe Mumba, Chama Kalaluka, Graham Bagley, Mutale  Mulenga, Naested Smit.

15- 16 years girls

Johanna Buys and Fleur Donker.

17 and over girls

Tilka Paljk, Faaizah Ismail, Genisis Carr, Tonia Weltin while the boys squad consists of Tom Donker, Kumaren Naidu and Mathew Shone.