The Sunday News
From Nkosinathi Sibanda in Botswana
NAMIBIA were crowned the champions of this year’s edition of the Confederation of Schools Sport Association of Southern Africa athletics games (Cossasa) here on Friday.
This came as a shock to many who expected the hosts, Botswana to lift the gold but Namibia had to leap to the top of the medals table on the third day of the event.
With a record 17 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze medals, athletes from the land of the brave showed how determined Namibia was in excelling in this biggest schools athletics contest in the Sadc region.
Team Zimbabwe, the defending champions this time got it all wrong and finished on third position after Botswana.
Zimbabwe bagged in 50 medals — 11gold, 22 silver and 17 bronze. The team recorded a drop in the number of gold medals as they were six shy of the Namibian achievement. Botswana had 13 gold, 15 silver and 15 bronze.
The entire week witnessed an intense battle for honours between Zimbabwe, Botswana and the champions Namibia.
Zambia and Lesotho were only here to add up numbers as the teams failed to put up an impressive show, a sign that both countries were ill-prepared for the competition.
The mountain Kingdom of Lesotho representatives were content with returning home with the wooden spoon again. With only three gold medals, four silver and three bronze pieces, Lesotho came last on the medals table. Zambia finished fourth, amassing a handful of 13 medals- six gold, four silver and three bronze.
The hosts could have been the most disappointed as even the spectators and other competitors had predicted the country to finish as champions.
So commanding were the Batswana team at the initial stages of the competition. The hosts were also so full of confidence, seen through their level of preparedness for the competition.
It took Namibia’s prowess in the last events of the competition, both on field and track, which other title contenders could not match.
Team Zimbabwe manager Phakamile Lisimati said although they failed to retain the title, this year’s edition taught them a bitter lesson.
Lisimati, a renowned athletics coach in the country was calm and collected as he stated quite a number of reason for Zimbabwe’s slump in the regional competition.
“I think it was an issue of preparation. The performance was not bad though.
“We were the most feared team here and we mounted pressure from the start. Our pitfall was on the track, but in the field events we gave our best.”
By last Friday morning it was clear that Zimbabwe would finish in third position.
This has been a disappointing performance for a team largely more talented than the rest of the opponents here.
The morale in the team was low yesterday afternoon, a clear sign that both athletes and officials were not impressed with the poor showing.
Athletes such as Yvonne Vanhuvaone and Mthabisi Dube, who were medal hopefuls in long distances disappointed on the third day.
Zimbabwe coaches might come under fire and have to explain how they lost the plot.
Officials who travelled with the team would want these coaches to give a full account of the slump, as it was not anticipated that Zimbabwe could come second to teams like Botswana and Namibia.
