The Sunday Mail
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
ONE of the recurring themes of the Tokyo Olympics over the last couple of months has been the continued withdrawal of high-profile names from the quadrennial event.
Whether it is NBA icon Lebron James opting to watch the release of “Space Jams” movie instead, or the tennis duo of Rafa Nadal and Serena Williams, it seems one high-profile athlete or another has opted out for one reason or the other.
Mo Farah failed to qualify, while football superstars Neymar Jnr, Kylian Mbappe and Mohammed Salah withdrew their names for consideration.
However, with the event itself less than a fortnight away, it seems appropriate to shine a light on those that will not only be there, but actually want to be.
One such individual is top Zimbabwean golfer Scott Vincent.
Golf has been one of the hardest-hit sports by apathy, with top stars Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer removing their names from the roster that will tee off in Japan.
Rio 2016 medal winners Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar failed to make the cut.
But this does not seem to bother Scott Vincent.
“Obviously, it would have been pretty nice to have some of those (missing) guys there, but I understand why they are not competing and respect it as their decision.
“I am going for different reasons that I would assume they would, and I am more concerned about what I am doing and how I am preparing,” said the 29-year-old United States-based golfer.
Vincent narrowly missed the cut back for the 2016 Olympics and ranks qualifying for Tokyo high up on his career achievements.
“In terms of career achievements, this is very high for me.
“I missed out on it back in 2016 by one spot and it has been a personal goal of mine ever since . . .
“Now, after qualifying, this is like a dream come true for me,” he said.
Vincent is no stranger to wearing the tag of being one of the country’s top golfers and the weight of expectations that comes with it.
In fact, he has been doing it for the past 12 years, both on the European and Asian tours.
The former St John’s College student is a five-time runners-up on the Shinhan Donghae Open, the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, the Bank BRI Indonesia Open and the TAKE Solutions Masters, feats he performed between 2016 and 2018.
In 2018, he represented Zimbabwe at the World Cup of Golf in Australia.
However, the Olympics will be a different ball game, and one that Vincent is not taking lightly.
Not even an ultra-competitive field or the ever-growing threat of the Covid-19 pandemic will deter the seasoned golfer from putting on a show.
“I am going to compete, I am going to try and win it and I am not going there to make the numbers. Getting caught up on results is not the right thing to do — that much I know — and it is a great learning opportunity for me.
“I am excited about the whole experience.
“It’s always an honour for me to represent my country and I want to do well for my fellow countrymen.”
While the threat of the pandemic continues to loom over the Games, Vincent considers himself blessed not to have been infected by the virus.
“It (virus) has obviously made travelling and moving around very difficult, but I was one of the lucky ones.
“My wife and I travelled around Europe last year with the whole pandemic going on and we were very cautious and careful about how we got around.
“We were able to avoid contracting Covid-19 and I have been very fortunate.
“I played a lot of events during the whole pandemic,” he said.
Vincent has since employed a mental coach and built a gym at his United States home.
He continues to work on his fitness under the guidance of Grant Mitchell and will go to Japan bubbling with confidence.
