The Sunday Mail
ZIMBABWE’S team to the Youth Olympic Games doesn’t have to look very far for inspiration — the country’s greatest Olympian and Minister of Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry will be with them.
Coventry is Team Zimbabwe’s Chef de Mission and her message to the team before they head to Argentina this week is simple.
“Have fun, enjoy the experience you have won half the battle,” Coventry told the team at an announcement ceremony held in the capital last week.
Zimbabwe will compete in six disciplines — aquatics, athletics, equestrian, hockey (girls), judo and rowing — and Coventry has challenged the country’s athletes to have self-belief.
“It’s encouraging to see that we have 15 athletes who qualified and we are going to be super supportive of them competing in Buenos Aires, having fun and enjoying the experience but also hoping that they will continue for 2020 and further on because that’s really the goal,” she said.
“I think they have achieved half of the battle by qualifying and they have clearly been training hard because the qualifications are not super easy.
“They are already half way there and now they just have to find that self-belief in themselves. When they get there, they have got the confidence that they have done the training, the work and that they can rely on their team mates.
“My advice to them is take everything one step at a time, don’t let anything become too overwhelming.”
Zimbabwe has participated in all three editions of the YOGs with the country’s first medal coming from Yara Hanssen in equestrian at the inaugural edition of the Games in Singapore in 2010.
Team Zimbabwe
Aquatics: Liam Raymond Davis; Lindsy Tudor- Cole (coach)
Athletics: Privilege Chikara; Briad Nhubu (coach)
Equestrian: Brianagh Clark, Ricky-Lee Kyle Johnstone
Hockey girls: Mercedes Beekes, Simeone Herbst, Adrienne Berkhout, Eleanor Pope, Gugulethu Sithole, Alexei Terblanche, Natalie Terblanche, Munashe Dangare, Shae Trivella, Tendai Maredza (coach), Florence Mhasho (manager); Judo: Maria Pretorious, John Bowles (coach)
Rowing: Ashley Bass, David Maonga; Ruth Gibson and Abigail Mnikwa (medical)
