Story by Mthokozisi Dube
THE inaugural Ecocash National Swimming Gala splashed into action on Friday, drawing together more than 20 clubs from across Zimbabwe in a vibrant showcase of young talent and competitive spirit.
The event, held under the auspices of the Zimbabwe Swimming Association (ZSA), has been hailed as a major step forward in the development of the sport, offering a platform for upcoming swimmers to test their skills against the nation’s best.
Zambezi Tigers head coach, Alison Steiner, described the gala as an invaluable scouting ground for emerging talent.
“It has been a big day. We are witnessing the best of swimming talent, and as coaches, we are happy because such a platform will help us identify talent for the future,” Steiner said.
“We are happy that all the clubs are giving their all. We have seen talent that was never displayed before. Having more of these will help us develop the sport, but we need to be proactive and have a database to track our athletes,” Otters Swimming Club head coach, Shingirai Zhoya added.
Zimbabwe Swimming Association Chairperson, Zanele Nkomazana, said the future looks bright with the synergies with the corporate world.
“This is a rising star gala and I must say we are happy with the talent on display, but still call for other corporates to help nurture budding swimming talent. We have more than 4 000 athletes from the 23 clubs. This has cast the net wide in developing talent.”
The inaugural Ecocash National Swimming Gala is a result of the good relations between the Zimbabwe Swimming Association and the giant financial institution.
