By Courage Nyaya Teenage swimming sensation Donata Katai is one of 10 local athletes selected by the Zimbabwe Olympic committee (Zoc) to benefit from the Olympic Solidarity Scholarships for Paris 2024.
The scholarships were unveiled by the French ambassador Laurent Chevallier at a ceremony held at his residence in the capital on Monday.
Olympic Solidarity Scholarships are a facility created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to assist elite athletes selected and proposed by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in their preparation and qualification for the global games.
Particular focus is on athletes and NOCs with the greatest need and ZOC is a beneficiary.
Katai, who represented the country at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year, headlines the list of recipients from Zimbabwe.
Two-time Oceans Marathon winner Fortunate Chidzivo and United States-based triple jumper Chengetayi Mapaya are among the beneficiaries.
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The other recipients include Isaac Mpofu (athletics), Andie Kuipers (Triathlon), Denilson Cyprianos and Nomvulo Mjimba (Swimming), Justine Hobbs and Stephen Cox (Rowing) and Christe-Rose Prestorius (Judo).
Zoc president Thabani Gonye as well as Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry and officials from the various sporting disciplines attended the event.
Zimbabwe had only five athletes at the Tokyo Olympic Games and will be looking to send a larger contingent to the Paris Games in two years’ time.
The Paris Olympic Games will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
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