The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
STINGRAYS’ upcoming swimming star, Tichatonga Makaya etched his name in the record books over the weekend at the Mutare Sprint Gala when he set a new record in the 13-year-old 50m butterfly race.
Makaya was first in the 12 to 13-year-old race touching the pad 28,70 seconds to eclipse the previous record.
The Christian Brothers College (CBC) pupil was the only swimmer to break a national record at the event that has over the years been a boon for swimmers to set new records as it is considered a “fast pool”.
Mutare Swimming Pool played host to a total of 193 swimmers with six, Tanatsirwa Chitsurura, Josh Covill, Tichatonga Makaya, Paul Mwipikeni, Timea Schultz and Wisdom Shumba, achieving South African National Junior championships qualifying times while 30 swimmers managed to make Level 3 times.
Stingrays’ coach Eddie Cyprianos said they were excited about Makaya’s feat and is looking forward to him achieving more as the 2019-2020 swimming season progresses.
The Bulawayo-based swimming club managed to clinch 11 gold medals at the event together with five silver and three bronze.
Highlands emerged the overall victors after accumulating 351 points in the combined teams table while Sharks came second with 338,50 and in third place was Spartans who finished with 324,50 points while Stingrays came in fourth with 221 points.
