Zim swimmer breaks record

from the BBC:

Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry broke the world record for the women's 100m backstroke in her semi-final swim at the Water Cube in Beijing.....

Zim's Olympic hopefuls

from Sports Illustrated

Ngoni Makusha's story is not one of political violence, sham elections and seven figure inflation rates. His is one of a freshman who jumped farther than any one else at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships this year. Neither is the story of swimmer Kirsty Coventry, who earlier this year swam the 200-meter backstroke faster than anyone ever has.

But Makusha and Coventry are both Olympians from Zimbabwe...

"I would hate for Ngoni to win the gold medal and have everyone ask him about how bad the political situation can be," says Ken Harnden, a former Zimbabwean Olympian and one of Makusha's coaches at Florida State. "But you can't escape the headlines."....

Only a country since 1980, Zimbabwe has won just four Olympic medals.....

Makusha and Coventry come from vastly different worlds within Zimbabwe's highly stratified society. Coventry's family employed servants, a common practice among Zimbabwe's elite, and had a pool in their backyard that got Kirsty hooked on the sport after a dislocated knee forced her out of field hockey, tennis and track at age 14. Makusha came from a rural village where running water is a luxury. Kids walk miles to school each day and often live on one square meal a day.

"Just the fact that he graduated from high school should be considered more impressive than his jumping 27 feet," says Harnden, who claims conditions have barely improved in the 20 years since he left Zimbabwe to run track at North Carolina. "When you're just trying to survive everyday, how long could you keep telling yourself , 'I'm going to be the best long jumper in the world'?"

But the travails of being an athlete in Zimbabwe transcend social boundaries. When then-Auburn swimming coach Kim Brackin went to Harare for a winter recruiting trip in 2000, Coventry could only swim a 100 IM for the coach before hopping out of the water blue in the face. None of Zimbabwe's pools are heated, and the country has no indoor pools. Coventry often had to take months off in the winter, while top swimmers trained year round.

"We never had lane lines [in Zimbabwe], it was just find a spot and go," says Coventry, who was recruited by numerous schools in the SEC, where many of Southern Africa's top swimmers end up. "Now it's like, 'How could I train without lane lines?'"

The country also has just one rubber track, with athletes like Makusha training on dirt and grass instead. Makusha had less than a year of actual coaching when he arrived in Tallahassee. ...

The World Cup...the really important issu

South African soccer fans worried that Zimbabwean turmoil will mar the tournament.

By Zakeus Chibaya in Johannesburg (AR No. 121, 10-July-07)

Football fans in South Africa are urging their government to try to solve the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe before hosting the World Cup finals in 2010.

They say it would be grossly insensitive to stage the tournament while Zimbabweans suffer, and they fear President Robert Mugabe’s repressive policies could to lead to violence in South Africa during the event.

Pretoria officials appear to share these anxieties, but have been keen to stress that their primary concern is the welfare of Zimbabweans and southern Africans in general.

“We remain concerned not only about the effects on the people of Zimbabwe but the effect on the region as a whole,” said Aziz Pahad, South Africa’s deputy foreign affairs minister.

However, some political observers are sceptical about Pretoria’s efforts to help resolve the crisis in Zimbabwe. ...



A European parliament resolution last year said it “strongly insists that the Mugabe regime must derive absolutely no financial benefit or propaganda value from either the run-up to the 2010 World Cup or the tournament itself; in this regard, [the EU] calls on South Africa, the host nation, and on FIFA to exclude Zimbabwe from participating in pre-World Cup matches, holding international friendly games, or hosting national teams involved in the event”.

If it is still in turmoil when the tournament kicks off, the organisers could be facing serious problems in South Africa and Zimbabwe, should it still be included as a base for participating teams.

An estimated 40,000 Zimbabweans cross into South Africa illegally every month, fleeing an unemployment rate of 80 per cent and hyperinflation of 3,700 per cent. The exodus is causing xenophobia-induced violence in South Africa, and the situation is going to get worse as South Africans and Zimbabweans jostle for jobs during the World Cup.

“Zimbabwe has been turned into a military state by Mugabe and it poses a security threat to South Africa hosting the World Cup,” said political analyst Edditon Maloba.

At the same time, there’s concern that foreign football fans visiting Zimbabwe in advance of the tournament may be harassed by the authorities. “Foreigners will be accused of spying or trying to topple the government,” continued Maloba, who also warns that many participating countries will refuse to train in Zimbabwe because of its bad human rights record.

The situation in Zimbabwe has already forced some sporting events to be cancelled - reminiscent of 2003, when a number of countries refused to play their matches there during the Cricket World Cup.
...

Zim rejects neutral venue plan

A lot of folks in Australia were upset that their team was supposed to visit Zim to play, but the team pointed out that if they refused, they would be fined. However, the international body allows teams to pass on scheduled games, so Howard decided to "forbid" their playing there...voila, problem solved.

Except that Zim is mad that Australia will grant money to democracy adovcate groups in that country, and so is refusing to play the Aussies elsewhere.

n Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade statement released on Monday said Australia would significantly boost its support for human rights campaigners and community organizations in Zimbabwe over the next two years, starting with the immediate release of nearly A$6 million ($5 million).

The Australian government has planned to channel A$18 million by 2008 to Zimbabwean civic groups and aid agencies through the Australian Fund for Zimbabwe.

"The Australian foreign minister has announced an $18 million Australian dollar fund for regime change. We have a process here for the change of government through democratic elections and not any other way," Ndlovu said.

"For them to put up that money when we are heading for an election reveals their agenda, but we have a law here against foreign funding for political parties, directly or through NGOs or their embassy."

Unlikely

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer had earlier told reporters Zimbabwe was unlikely to allow the match going ahead at a neutral venue.

"For them, I suspect, and at least for the Zimbabwean government, it would be seen to be humiliating to acknowledge that they're not able to play against the top cricket team within their own country.

"My guess is that this won't come about."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the government had taken the initiative to ban the players from touring because it was unfair to leave the decision to sportsmen.

"I'm sorry it has come to this. It really does pain me as a cricket lover. But this is a terrible regime," Howard said.

"This is a weapon available to the government. It is a device, it is a method of sending a very strong signal of disapproval."

A number of senior Australian players said they were relieved the government had taken the decision out of their hands.

Opening batsman Matthew Hayden said he had been thinking about a private boycott if the tour had gone ahead.

"I was seriously considering my position this time, as to whether I would go if the tour went ahead," Hayden told The Australian.

Aussies pull out of Zim tour (cricket)

Mr Howard cited Zimbabwe's human rights record and economic turmoil to explain his decision.

"The living standards in the country are probably the lowest of any in the world, you have an absolutely unbelievable rate of inflation.

"Whilst it pains me both as a cricket lover and as somebody who genuinely believes these things should be left to sporting organisations... it leaves me with no alternative."

Cricket Australia had been reluctant to cancel its September tour to Zimbabwe because that would have made it liable to pay a minimum $2m fine levied by the sport's international governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).

However, an ICC statement released before the Australian government forced the cancellation of the tour indicates Cricket Australia would not be fined....