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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

PENGUINS, Zambezi Tigers, Barracudas, Stingrays, Falcon, SOS, BG Dolphins and Crusaders will compete in four Matabeleland Amateur Swimming Board (MASB) galas that will be held between this month and December.

The 2018/19 swimming season starts on September 27 at City Pool, with swimmers from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces hoping to record times that will qualify them for international events.

The second gala is set for October 4 followed by one on October 25, with the final event of the year being held on November 8.

Nokuthula Cyprianos, a member of the MASB said all is set for the new season and swimmers are raring to go.

“There’s an aura of excitement within the swimming fraternity and swimmers are excited by the start of the new season. After a three-month break, we had some swimmers participating in international events where  they bettered their times and will hope to start well. 

“There are some who have also been training during this period and will be hoping to better their times to enhance their chances of being selected for national teams,” said Cyprianos.

Local swimmers that participated at international events are the Stingray Swimming Club trio of Quinton Tayali, Denilson Cyprianos and Joash McKonie, who competed in the Hamilton Aquatics Summer Sizzler 2019 championships in Dubai in July.

Last month, Denilson and Liam O’Hara of Falcon represented Zimbabwe in the Fina World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Cyprianos smashed his national record in the 17-year-old category at that event, clocking 2 minutes 06.96 seconds, knocking off his previous record of 2 minutes 08:64 seconds. O’Hara swam a personal best in the 100m breaststroke, recording 1 minute 03.92 seconds

Among some top swimmers expected to shine in the 2018/19 season for Crusaders are 19-year-old Dale Bruce, Riana Rollo (15) and Jade Chicken (13).

BG Dolphins will look to nine-year-old Kwandokuhle Nkomazana, Joshah Siwela (10) and Inathi Siwela (14), while the Bhana siblings, Kayden (12) and Adriana (9), will lead SOS, who also have 12-year-olds Darren Ncube and Olivia Accorsi.

Penguins’ top swimmers include Nathan Ngwenya (15), Onesimus Ngwenya and Nozintaba Masiye Moyo, both aged 12 years.

Cory Werret (15), who has represented Matabeleland in a number of events, Dean Jones (14), Jayden Deswardt (13) and Cloe Werret are among the swimmers to watch from Barracudas, while Avril Carinus (12) and Pearson Mumba (13) are Zambezi Tigers’ top swimmers.

Stingrays have multi-national record holder Denilson (17), Tayali (18), Mckonie (17), Tichatonga Makaya (13), Sibusiso Fayayo (9), Nathan Chibva (10) and 16-year-old Jasper Mpofu, who will be targeting international events qualifying times.

O’Hara leads the Falcon team, which has Tait Mills (16), Jack Oostindien (16) and Ethan Donaldson (18).

The 2018/19 season will end in May. — @ZililoR