Story by Mthokozisi Dube
PREPARATIONS are in full swing as Bulawayo gears up to host the Ecocash National Sprint Swimming Gala on the 17th of this month. The Bulawayo Amateur Swimming Association (BASA) is making every effort to ensure its swimmers are ready to shine on the big stage.
As part of its preparations, BASA held its second Junior League Gala, a key developmental event designed to groom young swimmers.
The gala attracted participants between the ages of six and 19 years, with many diving into the competition for the very first time, a strategic move to build confidence and exposure ahead of the national meet.
“The second amateur gala that we are having here is the most fundamental part, primarily in terms of the age groups. Some of them are swimming for the first time. This is more towards the development of the swimmers. We are giving them as much experience as we can for them to learn the rules and to perform the strokes properly, so that when they eventually get into a 50m pool, which is a bigger pool, they can perform. It’s a process of learning, hence having an event like this is designed to prepare them for the upcoming galas,” Penguins coach Philani Dhlamini said.
“This gala is significant. We are all trying to get our PPES before this sprint gala. So the kids must swim as much as they can and race pace, and as the coaches, we are here to assist them,” SOS coach, Siobhan Kesson added.
The swimming gala is expected to attract top swimmers from across Zimbabwe, with the Bulawayo Swimming Pool set to be the epicentre of fast-paced aquatic action.
The mobile money transfer company is fast becoming a key player in Zimbabwean swimming, having recently supported Team Zimbabwe’s participation at the Zone IV Africa Aquatics Championships, which took place in Eswatini last month.
