US$19 000 cash bonanza for top Zim Olympians

 

 

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabwean athletes who made it to the Paris Olympics will smile in more than pure victory if they get garlanded.

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee has said it will award US$19 000 for gold medals, US$7 000 for silver and US$5 000 for bronze.

Government policy has been that gold medalists get US$10 000 recognition.

Zimbabwe Olympic Committee President Thabani Gonye, said that Zimbabwe has the talent to earn some medals at the Olympics that run until August 11.

“We have elite athletes in this year’s team who have been doing well consistently on the International stage.  Look at what Isaac Mpofu has been doing then look at Makarawu as well how he has consistently been running sub 20 times in 200m. Those are times for elite athletes and with those times finals are guaranteed. So we hope that they will do well and bring medals. We don’t want to put pressure on them because we know they have been working hard and they also want to bring medals home,” said Gonye.

Team Zimbabwe consists of long distance runners Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora, rower Stephen Cox, sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, swimmers Denilson Cypruanos and Paige Van der Westhuizen.