Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE national coach, Pamela Fulton, expressed excitement about the country’s junior athletes competing in the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup. Although the focus will be on Andie Kuipers, who is competing in the elite women category, Fulton is looking forward to seeing the younger athletes in the Africa Junior Cup.
The annual event is set for Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga on Saturday.
Fulton believes that the junior boys are “phenomenal athletes” and despite being the youngest in their category, she thinks they have a chance to perform well.
However, Fulton notes that the lack of girls in the competition has been a disadvantage for Nicole Madya, the only Zimbabwean girl in the competition.
Zimbabwe missed out on the elite level last year as they were not represented in both the women’s and men’s categories.
In 2021 and 2022 they were represented by Greer Wynn in the women’s section.
The trio of Rohnan Nicholson, Callum Smith and Stanely Chasakara will compete in the junior boys’ category.
“Our juniors when entering the Africa Cup event is the Under-19 category. It’s not divided into Under-17 and Under-19. So all of our juniors, the junior boys, three of them, are Under-17.
“So they are actually bottom of the category and there are phenomenal athletes and are really racing well at the moment. They are pushing each other in every single race we have been having at Mount Pleasant and shaving minutes off their time.
“So, I am really excited to see how they perform at Troutbeck. There will obviously be juniors who are older than them, who are actually 18 and even 19. But I strongly believe that our junior boys are strong.
“Unfortunately in the girls’ category we have got only one athlete, Nicole Madya. From what I have seen on the World Triathlon site, there are two girls from South Africa coming and one girl from Namibia.
“I am not sure if there will be any other countries coming to compete in the junior girls’ section. So who knows possibly a podium finish for her,” said Fulton.
Coca-Cola is the title sponsor of the event, and several other sponsors have come on board to support the multi-sport festival.
Coca-Cola frontline marketing manager, Barry Otieno, said it is an honour to be associated with the Troutbeck event.
“It comes as great privilege and honour to be the title sponsor of the Bonaqua Africa Triathlon, a global event sanctioned by the International Union. Bonaqua being a water brand suits the event well and resonates magnificently with the natural surroundings that we experience in Troutbeck.
“The Bonaqua brand has grown together with Triathlon Zimbabwe as the official title sponsor. This alone demonstrates our commitment and celebration to the development of sport in Zimbabwe” said Otieno.