Mudariki to lead Cheetahs
ZIMBABWE Rugby star Hilton Mudariki said mindset preparation is a key element ahead of the All Africa Games to be held in Ghana, Accra from March 8 to 23.
Mudariki is part of the Cheetahs squad for the games set for March 8 to 23 and he brings vast experience to the squad after captaining both the Cheetahs and Sables team in the past.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports, he said they are looking forward to the challenge they are set to face ahead and have faith in the squad that is tasked to deliver for the nation.
“We are looking forward to the All Africa Games. I believe it is one of the best multicultural sports festivals in Africa so to be part of it is amazing and we are looking forward to the challenge and just the opportunity to be there.
“Preparations have been pretty good so far. We started training last year with guys that are locally based and it’s been good. Last year we fell short in the Olympic qualifier and we realised we had to fix those before the tournament.
“The best part of our sevens team is that anyone can pitch up any day and perform so for us it’s not about taking any team lightly it’s about going one game at a time focusing on that particular game and not worrying about the future of the tournament. So for us, every game is important.
“Mindset is a big part of the game that is neglected a lot. Normally focus is on the physical side, the gym, the conditioning, and running but not necessarily on the mind so it is something that we will be working on and we hope we have the correct mindset.
“We want to come back with the medal. That is the end goal but you know we can’t focus on the end but on how we start, we have to take one game at a time and see if we can bring the medal.”
Mudariki believes the balance within their squad will give them an edge as there is a blend of experience and the youths. He says the mandate to pass on the experience to the youngsters is now on him.
“We have got some youth and experience which is a nice blend and that will help us going into this tournament and that is the young guys with a couple of them coming from a successful run with the under 20s last year and we have oldies like myself who have been around for a while so we have a nice blend.
“I was once in their position so being here now is awesome. I just have to pass on my experiences from the past and hopefully, they can take that and be successful,” he said.