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Ellina Mhlanga, Harare Bureau

COACH of the Zimbabwe swimming team for the African Games, Sheelah Crause, says they were geared up for the event ahead of their departure for Morocco tomorrow.

The team is made up five swimmers – Robyn Stacie Lee, Nomvula Mjimba, Ayman Fadi Khatoun, Tadiwa Tayali and Peter Charles Wetzlar.

The Games start tomorrow and will run until August 31.

The teams are travelling in batches, depending on when their events are starting, and the swimming competition takes place from August 21 to 24.

Crause, who will be in charge of the swimming team at the Games, said they should be able to draw some inspiration from the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry, who represented the country exceptionally at the continental Games.

“All of them have been training under their own personal coaches and training very hard. I believe that they are all ready to go to the Games. “With regards to medals, obviously we would love to win medals as our honourable Minister has asked us to bring back medals and she is one of the top All-Africa Games medalists in history so, of course,

everyone would hope that we will be able to do as well. I know she (Coventry) will be supporting us in every way, she knows how hard it is to win those medals and get qualifying times,” said Crause.

South Africa-based Mjimba is expected to meet up with the team in Johannesburg while Lee, who is based in Australia, will join them in Morocco.

For swimming, the Games are a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Crause said they were not putting their athletes under pressure.

“It is a Tokyo qualifier for us and we definitely have hope that our athletes at least two of them will make qualifying times.

“If it doesn’t happen it’s okay there are other opportunities going forward in the future,” said Crause.

One of the swimmers Khatoun, who missed the Youth Olympic Games due to an injury last year, said he is excited to be part of the team.

“My times seem to be pretty similar from where I left off, so I am hoping that my mind will be ready, in gear by the time I get there.

“I went through a glass door, I couldn’t see the glass door was closed, so I cut my shin open.

“During my injury I actually had a lot of thoughts that I wouldn’t come back because I lost a lot of control of my right leg… So I am very surprised to make the African Games and I am hoping that I can do well.”