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 Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter 

ROWER Peter Purcell-Gilpin and teenage swimming sensation Donata Katai will be Zimbabwe’s flag bearers in the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday.

Unlike in previous Olympics, Team Zimbabwe won’t be the last team in the march out parade, but will be 83rd just behind Singapore and ahead of Switzerland as the country’s name is spelt differently in Japanese.

The ceremony will kick off at 1pm (Zimbabwean time), a few hours after Purcel-Gilpin would have opened Zimbabwe’s campaign in the Olympics.

Donata Katai

Purcel-Gilpin will be in the water in Heat 3 at 1.50am Zimbabwe time.

“Gilpin and Katai will carry our flag at the opening ceremony,” said Team Zimbabwe Chef de Mission Fredrick Ndlovu.

In addition to Purcell-Gilpin and Katai, another swimmer Peter Wetzlar, golfer Scott Vincent and sprinter Ngoni Makusha are representing Zimbabwe in the Tokyo Games.