The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
Matabeleland Swimming Board, in an effort to spread the sport to the western suburbs will host a mass participation event at Barbourfields Swimming Pool on Saturday.
The event is aimed at opening up swimming to a wider participation while emphasising on the importance of the sport as a life skill that people can use in times of emergency.
“We want to see more people learning how to swim both to compete and also as a life skill. We are going to have swimming tutors teaching participants how to swim and also have exhibition races.
“We are glad the swimming pools in the western areas have reopened giving a chance to more people to take part in the sport.
“In January, we are going to have another mass participation event at Mpopoma Swimming Pool,” Matabeleland Swimming Board chairperson Megan Nesbitt said.
The province also sent a delegation to the Mutare Sprint Gala. The Mutare Sprint Gala is one of the biggest swimming events in the sport’s calendar and usually attracts a full house with swimmers from all over the country converging in the border town.
The gala has been a boon for swimmers with most records tumbling at the event.
Meanwhile, Nesbitt revealed they held a successful Open Water swim at Ncema Dam that saw 25 swimmers taking part in the event recently. The first event of its kind held by the swimming board saw swimmers from Penguins, Barracudas and SOS taking part in races that ranged between 500m and three kilometres.
“We held the open water swim for the first time last week and we are glad with the turnout considering it was an inaugural event and we had swimmers aged between eight and 15.
“We have not yet set a date for the next open water event as a province due to the hectic calendar but if we manage to get a free weekend we will squeeze in one more event before going for the National Open Water Championships that will be held in February,” she said.
