The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE Aquatic Union president, Mary Kloppers has expressed satisfaction the preparedness for the 2017 Cana Zone IV Swimming Championships following a mock up event held last Friday at the City Pool.
The regional swimming meet scheduled for Bulawayo from 16 to 19 February with 13 countries from the region scheduled to participate in the event.
Swimmers from Matabeleland took part in the mock event with 10 events being on the programme and a mock medal presentation ceremony being held.
National team swimmers from the region were also part of the competitors.
Kloppers said she was delighted with the state of the pool and all is set for the start of the championships.
“The mock up event went well as we began with water polo and later ended with swimming and I believe it showed that we are ready to host the event. We are happy with the state of the pool and we are looking forward to a great event,” she said.
The Bulawayo City Pool was renovated into a world class facility with electronic timing in preparation of the AUSC Region V under-20 Youth Games held in 2014. Kloppers said swimmers were training with their clubs while water polo players are with their schools team.
She expressed optimism the country would do well considering the country has two teams comprising more than 70 swimmers.
Last year Zimbabwe came third at the Cana Zone IV meet held in Mauritius. Countries who have confirmed attendance include Angola, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania.
Kenya and Tanzania are not part of Cana Zone IV but are coming in as guest countries.
Zimbabwe and South Africa are the only countries featuring in the waterpolo competition.
The championships are a International Swimming Federation (Fina)-approved event where swimmers can achieve A and B Fina qualifying times for the 17th Fina World Championship in Budapest, Hungary, later this year.
The competition is open to swimmers aged 11 years and over. Teams are expected to start arriving on 14 February.
The competition originated in 2000 when it was named the Sub-Saharan Competition and Zimbabwe last play host in 2007 in Harare. In 2008 it was named the Cana Zone IV Invitational and the following year it was decided to rename the competition the Cana Zone III and IV Invitational Swimming Competition.
In accordance with the African Union Sports Council Region V Strategy and Directives, the Cana zone IV Bureau decided the event will now be designated as the Cana Zone IV Swimming Championship.
The competition will be held in either a 25m (Short Course) or 50m (Long Course Pool), dependent on the facility available in the host country.
In 2015 Zimbabwe hosted the first ever Cana Zone IV Water Polo Championships in Harare, independently from the Swimming Championships and in 2016, South Africa followed suit and this year the two competitions would be held concurrently.
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