The deadline for the games’ aspirants has been set for end of this month. Zimbabwe Olympic Committee chief executive officer Anna Mguni told Standardsport that they were leaving no stone unturned, trying to increase the number of athletes who will attend the games.
“We have a number of athletes that are fighting hard to make it to the 2012 London Games, but the problem now is that the qualifying deadline has been set for month-end. We have six athletes that have qualified for the games, but we are trying hard to increase the number of athletes,” Mguni said.
A number of United States-based athletes still entertain hopes of qualifying for the games.
Multi-talented athlete Ngoni Makusha is one of the six that will make it for the games.
“Ngoni is part of the six that have already qualified. He qualified for long jump but he is still to qualify for his favourite 100m race. He holds the 100m record that he got last year, but he qualified outside the stipulated period,” Mguni lamented.
Gabriel Mvumvure and Brian Dzingai have been having injury problems, but according to ZOC the two seem to have recovered.
“Mvumvure and Dzingai have been sidelined by injuries but they have sent us their medical reports which show that they have recovered and still have a chance to qualify.”
Other athletes that still have a chance to qualify include Malvern Bonde and Antony Hobwana.
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“We have been trying hard to have these athletes train at one venue so that we can form a relay team, but it has been difficult because most of them come from different universities and their programmes differ. Some are graduates while some are undergraduates so their school programmes have been a big hindrance, but we hope we will be able to send one relay team,” Mguni added.
Mguni believes tennis ace, Takanyi Garanganga, who won gold at the Maputo All-Africa Games last year together with tri-athlete Chris Felgate, are going to get wild cards for them to qualify.
“By virtue of being the All-Africa Games tennis champion, Takanyi might get a wild card together with Felgate. The two have been working hard to qualify for the games. Wild cards are usually awarded in June, so we are keeping our fingers crossed. We also hope to get other names from swimming,” concluded Mguni.
So far the Zimbabwe team includes swimming icon and Olympics champion Kirsty Coventry, male long-distance runner Cuthbert Nyasango, rowers Jamie Frazer-McKenzie and Micheen Thornycroft and athlete Sharon Tavengwa.
