BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE TRIATHLON Zimbabwe has justified the new dates for the prestigious Bonaqua 2021 Africa Triathlon Cup Troutbeck initially scheduled for February, but postponed to September 25, at its traditional venue in Nyanga. The annual international event was pencilled for February 21 and had to be postponed to a later date in respect of the prevailing strict COVID-19 lockdown measures. Zimbabwe is currently under a lockdown announced by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga on January 2 following a spike in COVID-19 cases and related deaths. This resulted in the Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) banning all sporting activities in the country, a move which adversely affected the preparations for the big triathlon event. Its postponement means that Triathlon Zimbabwe will conclude the triathlon season without the Africa Cup for the first time in 14 years. “Several other dates in April and October were considered but these had some associated problems and it was decided that 25 September would be the better option. This date falls within the new Triathlon season (September 2021- April 2022), but is still relevant to the event being hosted within 2021 from an international, continental, regional and local perspectives,” Triathlon Zimbabwe president Dave Ellis said in a statement on Wednesday. “Added to this, is the possible rescheduling of an African Junior Development Camp hosted at the same time as the event (as in 2020) which can only improve the African Junior Elite field. 'Racing conditions at this time of the year were also closely considered. Water temperature records at Troutbeck in September are between 18–22 degrees Celsius, the weather will be warmer than February and with little to no chance of the rain. “Approval from SRC permitting, it will be the intention of Triathlon Zimbabwe to look at realigning the current 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons to facilitate athlete preparations for this event date as it will include the 2021 National Championships,” he said. “It is our full intention to continue hosting this flagship and prestigious event, and to deliver a professional and high-profile International event as we have done for the past 14 years. “We are hopeful that many of the current scenarios that have forced this postponement will no longer be in place for the revised date but we are all critically aware of the extreme level of this crisis that our beloved Zimbabwe is now facing,” Ellis added. On Monday, Triathlon Zimbabwe announced the postponement of the international event and all its associated multi-sport events after extensive discussions with the event local organising committee (loc), medical delegate, sponsors and stakeholders. The decision was centred on the current strict lockdown measures, ban on sporting events, restriction to 30 persons at gatherings, travel and quarantine regulations. Neighbour South Africa has also been forced to cancel events such as the Africa Triathlon Cup Masselspoort and Africa Triathlon Cup Durban while the Africa Triathlon Championships Shandrani (Mau