The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
THE Matabeleland Swimming Board has selected a 46-member team to represent the province at next month’s Zimbabwe Junior Nationals slated for 16 to 17 March at Petra College.
Swimmers were selected following the Matabeleland Juniors Championships that were held last weekend. MSB chairperson, Bokani Dube said they were pleased with the performances delivered by the swimmers at the event held at Petra but added they would have to up their game in order to do well against their counterparts from other provinces to lift the national title.
“The swimmers did well at the championships with some athletes giving us good times but obviously the competition will be different when it comes to the nationals so I hope they will use the period in the interim to practice and up their game to ensure they bring the junior nationals title to Bulawayo,” she said.
The provincials saw several swimmers come tops in their respective age groups with School of Swimming dominating the nine and under age group as their two swimmers, Adrianna Bhana and Niel Jones won the boys’ and girls’ sections respectively.
In the 10-year-olds category Penguins’ Shumirai Zvenyika emerged tops in the girls’ section with Daniel Connolly of Barracudas coming first in the boys’ category, while Kudzai Chapepa of Barracudas and Patrick Duff of School of Swimming were first in the 11-year-old girls’ and boys’ section.
Barracudas’ Onye Onovo earned the highest points as she came first in five races to clinch the 12-year-old girls’ shield while Penguins’ Onesimus Ngwenya was first in the boys’ section.
Barracudas emerged first overall as they amassed 121,2 points to clinch the Matabeleland Juniors Championships with School of Swimming coming second after getting 112 points, Penguins was third (72), Crusaders fourth (52), Stingrays fifth with 40 points while Dolphins got 16 points and Zambesi Tigers were last with just five points.
Matabeleland Juniors team
Nine and under girls: Bhana Adrianna, Mbali Sibanda, Tiffany Smith, Nomcebo Ncube, Emily Nesbitt. Boys: Niel Jones, Sibusiso Fayayo, Watipa Zvenyika, Kando Nkomazana, Ryan Kahwema. 10-year-old
girls: Shumi Zvenyika, Chloe Werret, Lubelihle Mhlanga, Shayna Middleton, Kayisa Sutherland Mcleod, Lisa Mhlanga. 10-year-old boys: Daniel Conolly, Nathan Chibva, Joshah Siwela, Bradley Chipazi, Jayden Weale. 11-year-old girls: Kudzi chapepa, Ryan Mason, Savanna Smith, Kelsey de Stwardt. 11-year-old
boys: Patrick Duff, Daniel Oxden-Willows, Kundai Chigaro, Nsikelelo Sibanda, Nicholas Roukounis, Liam Chicksen. 12-year- old girls: Onye Onovo, Avril Carinus, Nozintaba Masiye-Moyo, Desiree Soganile, Pamela Ncube. 12-year-old boys: Onesimus Ngwenya, Khaya Vimba, Ruan Niel, Kayden Bhana, Reece Rollo, Mitchell Stanley, Tawanda Jani, Darren Ncube, Sibusiso Sibanda, Tyler Varley.
