Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
THE Cheetahs start their quest to book a place at the Rio Olympics when they square off against Ireland at Stade Louis in Fonteviellie in Monaco this morning. After Ireland, the Hilton Mudariki-led Cheetahs, drawn in Pool A, clash with Tonga and then top seeds Samoa, Zimbabwe’s biggest threat in the pool.
Mudariki yesterday said their preparations have gone well and they were looking forward to taking to the field. “Monaco is very good, our preparations have been good, we’ve had four sessions and a practice game in between, just captain’s run this morning (yesterday) and then game time tomorrow (today),’’ said Mudariki.
Coach Daniel Hondo went with the bulk of the players who represented the country at the World Series qualifier in Hong Kong in April. The biggest name missing from the list is speedster Tafadzwa Chitokwindo who could not be selected because he is trying to secure his stay in Germany where he plays club rugby for TV Pforzheim.
Just one team will qualify for the August Rio Olympics in Brazil from the repachage competition to be played today and tomorrow where 16 countries are in contention. Zimbabwe missed out on an automatic slot after losing 21-17 to Kenya in Johannesburg in November last year. Should they make it, the Cheetahs will join South Africa as well as Kenya as the African teams at the Olympics where Sevens Rugby makes its debut while the game played with the oval shaped ball makes its return to the biggest sporting showpiece in the world since 1924. Morocco and Tunisia are the other African countries at the repachage tournament.
Cheetahs squad;
Biselele Tshamala, Boyd Rouse, Shayne Makombe, Takudzwa Francisco, Tendai Dzongodza, Stephan Hunduza, Lenience Tambwera, Riaan O’Neil, Hilton Mudariki (captain), Kilvan Magunje, Kudakwashe Chiwanza and Manasah Sita.