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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
AS Harare swimming clubs brace for upcoming provincial championships at Les Brown Pool, Sharks coach Kathy Lobb says they have a young team they believe will do well again this year.

They won the event last year.

The Harare Amateur Swimming Championships, set to run over two weekends — from November 29 to December 1 and then December 6 to December 8 — will see Sharks, Highlands, Spartans, Pirates, Otters and Dorado competing for the bragging rights.

It’s also a platform for the selection and finalisation of the Harare provincial team to compete at the national championships next January in Bulawayo.

Sharks were the overall winners last year and Lobb said they are looking forward to this year’s challenge. But she emphasised that their major concern was to see their swimmers posting personal best times.

Sharks will be hoping the likes of Dylan Huang, Callum Morgan, Paul Mwipikeni, Vhenekai Dhemba and Donata Kata, who have all been on the rise, continue with their good form.

“Sharks have a good but young squad of swimmers who will, hopefully, win medals.

“These include, on the boys side, Dylan Huang, Callum Morgan, Paul Mwipikeni, Mufaro Ngwenya and Wisdom Shumba.

“On the girls side, Donata Katai, Mkhuseli Mahobele, Vhenekai Dhemba, Racheal Njowola and several others are looking good.

“The swimmers are looking forward to the championships and we are hoping to do some good times even though they are in the middle of heavy training for nationals,” said Lobb.

Sharks are likely to face stiff competition from Highlands, who were the runners-up and Spartans. Highlands have the likes of Nigel Madziyire, Limbikani Kalipengule and Paige Van Dee West Huizen, who were among the outstanding swimmers last year.

They also have Tanatsirwa Chitsurura and Josh Covill of Spartans. Pirates have Anje Van As, Kiara Goodinson, Kyle Heyns, the young-and-upcoming Taya Gray, Rumbi Zimuto and Sinead Jones who are expected to lead the team. “Not only do we hope to scoop medals, we are, more importantly, looking for personal best times from all our Pirates swimmers,” said the club in a statement. Harare Amateur Swimming Board public relations officer, Shingirai Mtetwa, said they were hoping most of their senior swimmers will compete at the event. “We have a total of 186 senior swimmers affiliated to HAS. Most of them will participate in the championships, entries are still being finalised for actual figures.