ZIMBABWE’S Paris Olympics bound long distance runner Isaac Mpofu added to the country's medals total after he clinched bronze at the African Games taking place in Ghana yesterday. Mpofu claimed a podium place after he arrived home in 1:05:37 behind Ghana's William Amponsah who finished in 1:5 :13 with Eritrea’s Samsom Amare Hailemicael hitting the ribbon in 1:05:04.
In the women’s category Rutendo Nyahora finished 11th in her race.
The bronze added to the two silver medals won by the tennis on Thursday.
Zimbabwe's top ranked tennis professional tennis player Benjamin Lock won a silver medal after he lost in the final against Tunisia's Moez Echargui in the men's singles final.
Lock fought hard after losing the first set as he forced the match into the deciding third set.
He, however, fell for 7-6(9), 3-6, 6-2 to take a commendable silver medal, but he missed out on qualification to Paris 2024.
The ticket to the Paris Games was only available to the winner of the singles competition.
Soon after the Olympics heartbreak, Lock was back on the court minutes later, this time to combine with his brother Courtney in the men’s doubles final.
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The pair also lost that final and settled for another silver medal.
Zimbabwe's sevens rugby team, popularly known as the Cheetahs also claimed a silver medal.
They finished second behind the gold medal winners Uganda and above Kenya, who won the bronze medal.
The African Games’ men’s rugby sevens tournament was played in a round robin format and it was the defeat to Ghana that injured Zimbabwe’s prospects.
Sprinter Ashley Kamangira, who won a bronze medal in the 100m hurdles, was set to take a shot at another medal as she competed in the 400m hurdles late yesterday.
Wellington Varevi was billed to compete in the men’s 5 000m finals, so was the men’s 4x400m relay team also taking to the track.
The men’s national cricket team are guaranteed of at least a silver medal after they made it to the final in the inaugural participation at the continental games.
