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All-Africa Games Team Announced(AllAfrica.com English Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Harare, May 26, 2007 (The Herald/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- KIRSTY Coventry - the 2004 Olympic Games triple medallist - will lead a 112-strong Zimbabwe contingent to the 9th All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, in July. Local swimming icon Coventry, who won a full set of medals - one gold, one silver and one bronze - at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, was included in the Zimbabwean team that was named in Harare yesterday. Custom Kachambwa, the general manager of the Zimbabwean team for the Algiers Games, announced the huge squad that comprises 91 athletes and 21 officials at a function held at Magamba Hockey Stadium. The Zimbabwe delegation to the Algiers Games will be led by the Minister of Education, Sport and Culture, Aeneas Chigwedere. Chigwedere will lead the delegation which, apart from the 91 athletes and 21 team officials (coaches and managers), also includes 25 Team Management staff who will be under the team's chef de mission Charles Nhemachena and Kachambwa. The team that was announced yesterday is, however, smaller than the delegation, which included 120 athletes and 34 officials (coaches and managers), that represented Zimbabwe at the last All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria. At this year's All-Africa Games, the 91 competitors and 21 officials will represent Zimbabwe in 17 disciplines - athletics, athletics for the disabled, basketball (women), boxing, chess, cycling, judo, karate, kick boxing, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and wrestling. The Games are scheduled to run from July 11-23 in Algiers. The Zimbabwe women's basketball team, who qualified for this year's All-Africa Games as the best runners-up in all the zones, have the biggest number of participants in the Games team with 12 players. The athletics team, who are yet to be named by the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, have the next biggest number of participants with 10. The athletics for the disabled, too, are also well represented in the Games team. They have eight athletes. Swimming have also contributed five athletes in the team while cycling, tennis, taekwondo, rowing, chess and sailing each have four competitors in the Zimbabwe squad for Algiers. There are many medal hopefuls in the Zimbabwean team, among them Coventry who took the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens by storm when she collected three medals - a gold, silver and bronze - in the swimming competition. The 23-year-old Coventry heads a five-member swimming team, which includes fellow United States-based swimmer Heather Brand. Promising young swimmers Kim Eeson, Moira Fraser and Grant Beaham are also in the team. Promising young female tennis players Fadzai Mawisire, who won Zimbabwe's first medal - a silver - during the last All-Africa Games in Abuja, will also be travelling to Algiers in July. She is back in the four-member tennis team with Fadzai Masiyazi and the Zimbabwe Davis Cup side members Genius Chidzikwe and Nigel Badza. Apart from winning a silver medal in Abuja, Mawisire also scooped another silver at the same Games with Masiyazi after losing in the final of the women's doubles. Mawisire and Masiyazi will be hoping to do much better at this year's Games in Algiers where they should walk away with a gold medal in the women's doubles. The country's top clay target shottist, Michael Nicholson, is also strongly tipped to walk away with a gold medal in Algiers. Nicholson is in the three-member Zimbabwe shooting team with Brad Wroe and Brett Pearl. Although the athletics team is yet to be named by the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, the country's three top sprinters - Young Talkmore Nyongani, Brian Badza and Lewis Banda - are already guaranteed their places in the squad and are also bright medal prospects for Zimbabwe in Algiers. The Zimbabwe All-Africa Games Team Athletics (to be named): 10 athletes plus a manager and coach. Athletics for disabled: Elliot Mujaji, Isaac Nyamukapa, Munongi Mhandu, Tendeukai Makumbe, Nokuthula Dube, Auxillia Marongwe, Violet Mutambanuki, Doreen Kamhunga. Manager - Michael Muzah. Head coach - Usher Mhende. Boxing: Richard Sambo, Steven Masiyambumbi. Manager - Petros Masiyambumbi. Chess: Daud Amini, Farai Mandizha, Rodwell Makoto, Spencer Masango. Manager - Charles Kuwaza. Cycling: Brian Dzengeni, Conway Mohamed, Dean Hayes, Linda Davidson. Non-travelling reserve - Gavin Sutherland. Manager - Ryan King. Tennis: Fadzai Mawisire, Fadzai Masiyazi, Genius Chidzikwe, Nigel Badza. Head coach - Claudio Murape. Taekwondo: Langton Chokwenda, Davies Manyepwa, Phillip Rufasha, Blessing Siyamachira. Manager - Ndaona Kembo. Rowing: Russell Hogg, Ryan Colohan, Micheen Thorneycroft, Tara Bawden. Manager - Sean Colahan. Head coach - Kerry Mackie. Wrestling: Tapiwa Masinire, Anthony Mhundwa, Ratidzo Dzomba. Manager - Cornelius Masinire. Karate: David Dube, Simbarashe Chishaba, Michael Muzenda. Manager - Lucky Munkondya. Judo: Simba Mashaya, Tatenda Guta. Head coach - Steve Pearson. Shooting: Michael Nicholson, Brad Wroe, Brett Pearl. Manager - Bryan Bared. Table Tennis: Pardon Gopito, Takudzwa Mudonhi, Brian Chamboko. Manager - John Muringani. Sailing: Alistair Bowen Davies, Andrew Giles Faber, Murray Laughlan Faber, Patrick McCosh. Manager - Dennis Lapham. Kick Boxing: Brighton Tangata, Norbert Baziyoni, Malvin Kaura. Manager - Tony Kamangira. Basketball: Fadzai Mabasa, Alexandra Maseko, Regina Chisale, Gladys Phiri, Helena Nyagato, Vimbai Muhoma, Alice Tapiwa Mandivheyi, Isobel Tengende, Juliet Misihairambwi, Sibongile Mkandla, Charity Mucucuti, Margaret Magwaro. Manager - Addison Chiware. Head coach - Ngoni Mukukula. Assistant coach - Sheryl Homela. Swimming: Kirsty Coventry, Heather Brand, Kim Eeson, Moira Fraser, Grant Beaham. Manager/coach - Glenda Heard. Country Delegation Minister of Education, Sport and Culture: Aeneas Chigwedere. Minister's aide: Emelia Chigwedere. Sports Commission chairman: Gibson Mashingaidze. Ministry official: Lysias Bowora. ZOC president: Admire Masenda. Sports Commission finance: Leonard Mpofu. Zimbabwe All-Africa Games Team Management. Chef de mission: Charles Nhemachena. General Manager: Custom Kachambwa. Administration: Tawanda Manyeruke. Technical: Titus Zvomuya. Secretariat: Martin Dururu. Partnerships and co-operation: Joseph Muchechetere. Assistant general manager (athlete education: Margaret Muswazi. Medical Team Team doctors: Nicholas Munyonga, Farai Muchena, Dorothy Masawi. Physiotherapists: Gillian Mudzengi, Tuwani Maara, Peter Mariwa, Olivia Gwaze, Clement Makoto, Joel Bizure. Nurse - Doreless Madziwa. Media Delegation Lovemore Banda, Jerold Sasa, Petros Kausiyo. Copyright 2007 The Herald. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |