The highs and lows in the sports sector…
Marlene Chiedza Gadzirayi was appointed as the New Zimbabwe Olympic Committee, Chief Executive
Officer. The announcement was accepted positively by Zimbabweans as this was seen as an elevation of female sports personally in Zimbabwe.
Marlene is an experienced Financial Administrator and management practitioner, with most of the experience being in the Non Profit Organisations sector, working mostly with national NPOs and civil society organisations. Currently a Chevening Scholar, studying MSc Management and Finance at the University of Sussex. (S: Linkedin)
In the world of tennis, Shane Tapera won the 2023 Botswana Open Tennis Championships Doubles Title and reached finals at the same event.
Shane was part of the Davis Cup Development Squad beginning of the year and also won the 2023 Botswana Open Tennis Championships Doubles Title and reached the finals at the same event.
While Zimbabwe’s under-12 girls’ team has qualified for the Africa Junior Championships. The under-12 girls’ team narrowly lost to South Africa 2-1 in a tightly contested final match.
Zimbabwe was the silver medalist. While the boy’s team were bronze medalists and they won their last match against Eswatini 3-0.
Zooming into Pretoria South Africa, Kudzai Chapepa won her first doubles ITF J60 Title this past weekend.
In Japan in Fukuoka Japan where the the 20th World Aquatics Swimming Championships are being held.
Below are the results for team Zim:
Paige Van Der Westhuizen
100M Freestyle Heat 4 lane 1
Entry time 1.00.32
Time 10.39 Japan Time, 0339 Zim time
Denilson Cyprianos
200M Backstroke Heat 1 Lane 2
Entry time 2.05.52
Time 10:53 Japan time, 0353 Zim time
Liam Davis
200M Breaststroke Heat 2 Lane 9
Time 11.32am Japan Time, 0432 Zim time
Entry time 2.18.74
For Denilson Cyprianos. Swimming a personal best of 57.29 in his 100M Backstroke from an entry time of 58.87 he finished in the 3rd position for his heat. The previous National Record is 57.43
Donata Katai swam a time of 1.04.85 up from 1.04.80.
Finishing 6th in her heat.
The tournament came to an end on the 27th of July.
The Zim Rugby team will face hosts Kenya in a battle for 5th place in the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy on Sunday.
The Junior Sables secured their best-ever finish in the World Rugby U20 Trophy with a stunning 38-37 victory against the USA following a dramatic match at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
The Junior Sables’ first U20 Trophy victory since 2012 – and only their third in all – secured third place in Pool A and at least a sixth-placed finish, although they will have the chance to improve that to fifth in Sunday’s play-off.
Kenya beat Hong Kong China 22-16 in the second match of the day to secure third place in Pool B. The USA will now face Hong Kong China in the seventh-place play-off.
Retired match official, Norman Matemera has been appointed as Chairperson of the Referees Committee by the ZIFA Normalisation Committee.
Matemera who made headlines in 2018 when he refused to take a bribe to influence a CAF Champions League match takes over from Barbra Chikosi.
Matemera assumes the new role at a time when match officials have been in the spotlight for poor officiating hence he has been tasked to bring sanity to the department.
Faith Sibanda is Matemera’s vice, while Tendai Bwanya, Stella Ruvinga, and Kuda Masina complete the new committee.
