Cheetahs off to Rio qualifiers
SPEEDSTER Tafadzwa “Rubber” Chitokwindo is the biggest missing name from the Zimbabwe national sevens rugby team the Cheetahs squad for the final leg of the Rio Olympic qualifies scheduled for Monaco on Saturday and Sunday.
Chitokwindo, the most dangerous Zimbabwe sevens rugby player with ball in hand because of his terrific speed could not be selected because he is trying to secure a visa extension of his stay in Germany where he plays for TV Pforzheim.
The wing explained that he had submitted his passport to the Germany authorities to extend his stay in the European country but the process has taken longer than he had anticipated. He expressed his disappointment at missing out since he had been looking forward to the competition.
“My visa is being processed but it will take three weeks, I am getting an extension. It was already in the process only that our club manager delayed with the insurance papers. It could have been out already, I am gutted, was so looking forward to it,’’ said Chitokwindo.
Coach Daniel Hondo has gone with the bulk of the players who participated in the World Sevens Series qualifier in Hong Kong in April.
Skipper Hilton Mudariki is back after missing the trip to Hong Kong because he was representing University of Johannesburg in the Varsity Cup semi-finals. Only Tendai Dzongodza of Old Hararians is the new face in the squad that was decided following a training camp held in Harare. The team leaves for Monaco tomorrow.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in Pool A where they will square off against Ireland, Samoa and Tonga. The biggest threat for Zimbabwe in the group is Samoa who finished ninth in the HSBC Sevens World Series with 89 points having won the Paris sevens. Zimbabwe finished 18th place with one point after participating in one HSBC World Sevens Series tournament in South Africa which saw them finish second from bottom overall, only better than South Korea.
Only one team will qualify for the August Rio Olympics from the repechage competition to be staged at Stade Louis in Fontevieille where 16 countries are in contention. Zimbabwe missed out on an automatic slot after losing 21-17 to Kenya in Johannesburg in November last year. Should they make it, the Cheetahs will join South Africa and Kenya as the African teams at the Olympics where sevens rugby makes its debut. Morocco and Tunisia are the other African countries at the repachage tournament.
Cheetahs squad
Biselele Tshamala, Boyd Rouse, Shayne Makombe, Takudzwa Francisco, Tendai Dzongodza, Stephan Hunduza, Lenience Tambwera, Riaan O’Neil, Hilton Mudariki (captain), Kilvan Magunje, Kudakwashe Chiwanza, Manasah Sita.