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Minister Andrew Langa

Bukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
TEAM Zimbabwe’s African Games squad will this morning be presented to the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa before departure for Congo-Brazzaville this evening.

The 111-member squad will be presented to Minister Langa by the country’s supreme sports body, the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).

“We’re having our send-off ceremony tomorrow (today) and the SRC will present the team to me in the morning. I’m going with the team because I’ve to attend a ministerial conference for the participating countries,” he said

The country swimming sensation Kirsty Coventry will captain the team.

Zimbabwe’s preparations got a timely boost on Wednesday when the government finally released $450,000 to the team. The funds will cater for the team’s travelling requirements, camp needs and medical insurance fees.

Zimbabwe will be hoping for a better show at this year’s Games than in 1995 when they played host as well as the last edition in 2011 in Mozambique.

In 1995, Zimbabwe came sixth with just six gold, six silver and 23 bronze medals compared to the winners South Africa who amassed a massive 64 gold, 51 silver and 31 bronze medals. Team Zimbabwe was to slip further in 2011 when they finished 11th with six gold, seven silver and two bronze medals in a meet that was again won by South Africa who collected 61 gold, 55 silver and 40 bronze medals.

Angola will be the next African Games hosts in 2019.

The 2015 African Games sport codes are athletics, badminton, basketball, beach soccer, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, fencing, football, handball, judo, traditional karate, karate, pétanque, rugby, swimming, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling

Previous Games hosts: Congo (1965), Nigeria (1973), Algeria (1978), Kenya (1987), Egypt (1991), Zimbabwe (1995), South Africa (1999), Nigeria (2003), Algeria (2007), Mozambique (2011)