Yorina Mugadhi a female student at Murray MacDougall Primary School in Triangle, Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, photo by Walter Mafeking, CAJ News
from WALTER MAFEKING in Triangle, Zimbabwe
TRIANGLE, (CAJ News) – A ten-year-old schoolgirl from southeastern Zimbabwe in the Lowveld could be the country’s next swimming sensation.
Yorina Mugadhi, the budding star, has set her sights on representing her country in the global stage, buoyed by her impressive exploits in local competitions, most prominently the Zimbabwe junior swimming championships recently held in the second capital of Bulawayo.
Mugadhi, a student at Murray MacDougall Primary School in the farming hub of Triangle Estates, scooped four medals.
She reigned supreme in the 25-metre butterfly where she won gold. The budding swimmer collected bronze in breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke.
An elated Mugadhi, dubbed the next ‘Kirsty Coventry’, spoke of her lofty ambitions in an interview with CAJ News.
In Zimbabwe, swimming is synonymous with current Sports Minister, Coventry, who is the most decorated Olympian from Africa and joint-most individual medals (seven) in women’s swimming in Olympic history.
“I am very happy for the four medals and it was a great achievement for me,” Mughadi said.
“I would like to participate in the senior nationals going forward. Ultimately I want to represent the country in swimming.”
At the junior championships at Petra High in Bulawayo, where she stole the show, Mugadhi was part of a promising team under coach Mark Burbidge.
Ewan Burbidge, Taona Muhwandavaka, Lewis Mushoweshiri and Murry Wenham swam their way to bronze medals.
The medals haul also represented a major improvement in Masvingo Provinces’ fortunes after they finished the 2017 edition empty-handed and managed five in 2018.
– CAJ News