Clayton Shereni
HARARE- Preparations are in full swing for the prestigious Bonaqua African Triathlon Cup slated for September 25 this year at the Troutbeck Resort in Nyanga following green light for sporting activities to resume given by government recently.
This year’s 14th edition of the annual event comes at a time when sport fans are thirsty for action since March last year when sporting activities were stopped in a bid to curb spread of Covid-19.
Addressing journalists during the launch of this years’ galore on September 14, Rick Fulton, event organiser of the Bonaqua Troutbeck Triathlon Tournament said the sport was growing each year and attracting international athletes as it continues to grow bigger and better.
“The Bonaqua African Triathlon Cup Troutbeck which is sanctioned by the International Triathlon Union (ITU) is contributing positively towards the development of sports and tourism in Zimbabwe by attracting regional, continental and global athletes,” said Fulton.
Bonaqua has been bankrolling the event for five years now and other Coca-Cola subsidizes like Schweppes have also been face of the tournament before.
Coca-Cola Zimbabwe Frontline Marketing Portfolio Activation Manager, Faith Nehanda expressed her pleasure for collaborating in the ‘ever-growing’ sport especially during the Covid-19 era.
“As the Coca-Cola system which includes our bottling partner Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited, we are delighted to be able to support local sports development through sponsorships like the Triathlon during these challenging times. The Bonaqua African Triathlon Cup Troutbeck is growing with each year, and attracting global athletes,” said Nehanda.
Another prestigious cup, the Junior Triathlon Africa Cup that will see countries like Egypt, Mauritius, Namibia and Tunisia take hosts Zimbabwe head-on will be hosted at the same venue.
This years’ event is a platform for Triathlon Elite Athletes to maximize points as they eye to up their ranking high ahead of Olympics scheduled for Paris, France.