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Ricky Zililo/Descent Dube, Sports Reporters
2018 was an eventful sporting year, filled with drama, jubilation, optimism and disappointments.

Topping the major sporting highlights of the year was the appointment of multi-Olympic gold medallist Kirsty Coventry as the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.

Coventry’s appointment by President Emmerson Mnangagwa was hailed by sport loving Zimbabweans.

As we get into 2019, Chronicle Sport looks at some of the 2018 major highlights which include FC Platinum retaining the Premier Soccer League title in record-breaking fashion while the Zimbabwe Cricket has been marred with controversy which saw them failing to qualify for the ICC World Cup.

In January, the year opened with Highlanders FC and Chicken Inn FC officially unveiling their coaches, Madinda Ndlovu and Joel Antipas respectively.

Ndlovu went on to lead Highlanders’ legacy restoration project aimed at giving home-grown talent the platform to shine while Antipas used his return to the Gamecocks to lay a foundation for the squad that will race for the championship in 2019.

In South Africa, Kudakwashe Mahachi signed for Orlando Pirates from Golden Arrows while Evans Rusike moved to SuperSport United in the Absa Premiership in January.

In February, the Zimbabwe Davis Cup team rose above the challenge to upset Turkey 3-1 in the Europe/Africa game.

The Zimbabwe Rugby Union unveiled Peter De Villiers as the sables coach.

Coventry landed the International Olympics Commission (IOC) Athletes’ Commission chairperson’s post.

The five-time Olympian, spoke about her desire to continue to build and implement the strategy, which seeks to empower athlete participation in the Olympic Movement decision-making process and support athletes’ development in their sporting and non-sporting careers.

The country’s soccer giants, Highlanders, Dynamos and Caps United clinched a combined $1 million dollar NetOne sponsorship.

FC Platinum’s maiden Caf Champions League appearance prematurely ended in the first round of the preliminary stage, being knocked out by Angolan side Clube Desportivo Primeiro de Agosto.

In March, How Mine FC folded up after its principal sponsor decided to review its corporate social responsibility strategy to focus on other projects.

It was a bleak month for cricket enthusiasts as the Chevrons failed to qualify for the ICC 2019 World Cup to be held later this year in London, England.

In April, Bulawayo soccer giants Highlanders ended a 10-year winless jinx against Dynamos in the Premier Soccer League, beating the Harare giants 1-0 at Rufaro Stadium, courtesy of an Ozias Zibande goal.

ZC fired Chevrons coach Heath Streak following the national cricket team’s failure to qualify for the world Cup.

In May, world football governing body, Fifa, ordered Zifa to hold elections after months of desperate efforts to unconstitutionally extend the term of the incumbent leaders by two years.

Dynamos fired coach Lloyd Mutasa following a string of poor results.

It was also the same month that former national team and Highlanders utility player Noel Kaseke decided to hang his boots after about two decades of playing football. At the time of his retirement, Kaseke was plying his trade in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In June, Zimbabwe won the Cosafa Cup title after beating Zambia 4-2. Zimbabwe beat Zambia in the extra time after the teams had drawn a 2-2 during the normal time.

Tinotenda Kadewere scored for Zimbabwe during normal time and Khama Billiat delivered the two winning goals in extra time.

Zimbabwe has won the cup a record six times.

Dynamos chairman Kenny Mubaiwa quit the Harare giants after bowing to pressure from fans.

World Boxing federation All-Africa heavyweight champion Elvis “Bulawayo Bomber” Moyo was denied an opportunity to fight in the United Kingdom.

In July, the Sports and Recreation Commission announced that they needed $1 million dollars to organise the National Youth Games.

SRC had to cancel the games due to typhoid outbreak in Gweru.

In August, the Warriors speedy winger Khama Billiat made a sensational move to Kaizer Chiefs from Mamelodi Sundowns. Billiat turned down overtures by Orlando Pirates after Chiefs topman Bobby Motaung visited the player in Harare to convince him to join the Soweto giants.

Premiership newboys Bulawayo Chiefs were seen taking social media use to another level forcing other PSL clubs to embrace it as a marketing tool. Later on, Chiefs became the first Zimbabwean club to a Twitter verifying ‘blue tick’.

In September, it was jubilation for Bosso fans after Amahlonyama, Highlanders, completed a double over Dynamos who they hammered 3-0 at Barbourfields Stadium.

The same month saw the Olympic gold medalist Kirsty Coventry being awarded and named the Minister of Youth, Arts, Sports and Recreation.

The Mighty Warriors crashed out of the 2018 Cosafa Women’s Championship in the group stages following Cameroon’s 6-0 thrashing of Lesotho in South Africa.

Zimbabwe had finished in second place in Group C following two wins over Namibia and Swaziland before a surprise 2-1 loss to guest nation Uganda.

With only the group winners guaranteed progression to the semi-finals, the Mighty Warriors had to endure an anxious wait to see if they could sneak into the last four as the one of the best placed runners-up.

In October, Bulawayo based basketball side, Lakers women’s team, won the ticket to compete at the African Club Championships held in Mozambique from November 15-24.

This was after they came second at the Zone 6 Basketball Club Championships played at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo from October 20-29.

Ngezi Platinum shocked the football world when they fired their then coach, Tonderai Ndiraya with just five games before the season ended, saying he had fallen short of meeting his targets.

In November, Dynamos were involved in a fight against relegation and they survived.

FC Platinum successfully defended their PSL title.

December, Bulawayo played host to Zapalala 2018 Africa Open Hockey Series at Khumalo Hockey Stadium from December 7-9. Namibia, Zambia, Egypt and Zimbabwe took part in the competition. Egypt’s men’s team won the tournament with the women’s title going to Namibia.

Bulawayo’s budding swimmer Denilson Cyprianos capped a fine year, breaking two national records as he clinched three bronze medals at the eighth edition of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Games held in Gaborone, Botswana.

Competing with older swimmers from the region, Cyprianos, who turned 16 years old in October, broke the all-time Zimbabwe records in the 200m backstroke which he swam in two minutes 09.46 seconds.

The previous best time of the open 200m backstroke was two minutes 10.40 seconds held by Brendon Ashby, set in July 2003.

Cyprianos who eclipsed the 24-year-old Matabeleland 1 500m freestyle record in the 16-17-year age group at the beginning of the month, set a new 28.49 seconds national record in the 50m backstroke, Peter Weslers December 2013’s 28.59 seconds.

Young Warriors lost the Cosafa Under-20 championship final to South Africa. It was an improved outing for the Young Warriors who had failed to go beyond the group stages at the 2017 edition.

The year was capped with the election of a new Zifa executive whose president is Felton Kamambo and his deputy is Gift Banda.

The two beat incumbent Phillip Chiyangwa and Omega Sibanda respectively. Kamambo and Banda fought endless battles to participate in the elections and Fifa had to intervene. The other members of the new Zifa board are Bryton Malandule, Sugar Chagonda, Chamu Chiwanza and Philemon Machana.

FC Platinum went against odds and qualified for the Total Caf Champions League group stages.

They will compete against defending continental champions Esperance of Tunisia, South Africa’s Orlando Pirates and perennial campaigners Horoya of Guinea.