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Allen Khumalo, Sports Reporter
SIX countries will compete at the Region Five Gymnastics Championships to be held at Belvedere Technical Teachers College in Harare on Saturday.

Countries expected to attend the tournament, formerly known as Zone VI competition, are Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and the hosts, Zimbabwe.

Gymnasts will compete in artistic men, artistic women, rhythmic, trampoline and aerobic disciplines.

“Team Zimbabwe goes into camp on Friday and we hope they will bring us medals. The visiting teams are already on their way to the country,” said the Zimbabwean gymnastics coach Tinashe Mushingaidzwa.

Last year, Zimbabwe’s artistic gymnastics junior team won silver at the Region 5 Gymnastics competition held in South Africa.

Team Zimbabwe was second to South Africa and beat Namibia and Mozambique for silver.

Rebecca Conlon who got a gold medal for Team Zimbabwe at last year’s regional games is carrying the hosts’ hopes on Saturday in the vault division.

Conlon capped the 2015 Region 5 Gymnastics competition with three bronze medals with Zimbabwe getting some of their medals from Kira Partel, Nina Katsande and Bronwyn Smyth.

@khumzallen