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State this time having worked hard to fund Team Zimbabwe to the sporting extravaganza.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Sport Arts and Culture Lazarus Dokora told the athletes shortly before their departure for Mozambique yesterday that the government believed in their capabilities and urged them to repay the confidence by shining at the Games.

Dokora was speaking at Belvedere Teachers College shortly before the 150 athletes left for Maputo aboard a chartered Air Zimbabwe plane.
In the past athletes received a raw deal from Sports Commission travelling by bus to national assignments and encountering a lot of problems on the road journey.
“You travelled by bus to Swaziland (Zone Six Games last December) it was not even good as you encountered a lot of problems for two nights but even when you arrived there you acquitted yourselves well under the circumstances.

“But this time the Government said let’s give all the support and it is slightly more than US$500 000 and that amount should translate into medals.
“In less than three hours today the team would be in Maputo and able to rest and acclimatise.

“I am confident that the competitive selection you have undergone will bring back the results. I am really happy that in team’s composition there is gender balance,” said Dokora.
Team Zimbabwe also received US$2 100 from Delta, sanitary hampers from Spar, while Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe also donated US$500.

Deputy Chef de Mission Joseph Muchechetere hailed the Government for supporting the delegation, which for the first time did not encounter problems in meeting their budget.
“We really appreciate the support being given to sport. The Government has given us enough money to meet all our basic requirements and this should motivate the athletes to do well in Maputo.

“We have assembled a highly competitive squad and we should bring more medals than the 23 we brought from Algeria,” said Muchechetere.
Meanwhile, triathlete Brendan Michell said he is ready and confident of winning a medal at the quadrennial games.

“We are well trained have been working very hard for the past two months in Nyanga, it was quite hectic. It is my first time to be participating at the All-Africa Games but I have participated in other international assignments before,” said Michell.

Laurell Brown, who will be participating at the World Triathlon Championships in Beijing just after the Maputo Games, said she is using the platform to thoroughly prepare for the world event and is confident of claiming a medal for her country.