Sports Reporter
WITH their new season underway, Triathlon Zimbabwe president, Ross O’Donoghue, says they are looking at increasing the numbers through various initiatives.
Triathlon Zimbabwe had their season opener last weekend at Mount Pleasant Pool with triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon events on offer.
O’Donoghue expressed satisfaction with the turnout for their first event of the year.
“I would say that the primary focus for Triathlon Zimbabwe this year is to open our sport to more people. We want more people to take part in our events, we want more people to be introduced to the world of triathlon.
“Being a fairly specialised sport, having to have a bicycle to be able to compete, we have opened new events in duathlon, and the run swim run (aquathlon) event. We are really hoping to get more people to attend, especially our juniors.
“Our national coaching programme is excellent, we have got some excellent coaches and through initiatives at the schools and triathlon events in schools we are hoping to grow triathlon,” said O’Donoghue.
The national association is looking at spreading their events to other venues around Harare.
“What we are hoping to do at Mount Pleasant this year, is to have some new venues around Harare as well.
“We just want people to come out and enjoy…And then if people are talented we want to assist where we can to let them achieve what they potentially can do and then that leads to Troutbeck where some of our top athletes will be racing at Troutbeck,” said O’Donoghue.
The Bonaqua Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck remains the major competition on the local scene attracting elite athletes from different countries in the world.
Apart from the local events, Triathlon Zimbabwe have some of their juniors bracing for the Africa Championships in Egypt next month.
They will be represented by Callum Smith and Rohnan Nicholson.