Harare - Long jumper Ngoni Makusha has become the first Zimbabwean athlete to book a ticket to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer Robert Mutsauki revealed that they had picked Makusha as they considered him to be one of Zimbabwe's brightest medal prospects of the global sports festival.

Makusha has now been placed on an Olympic sponsorship. The sponsorship is awarded to athletes identified to represent a nation at the next edition of the Olympic Games. It is a financial package supplied by the International Olympic Committee to cover the athlete's training programme and to enable him to participate in high level com[petitions like the World Championships.

"Medals are not won by accident. You invest in them and that is what we are doing with Makusha," said Mutsauki.

Kirsty Coventry, Brian Dzingai, and Lewis Banda are some of the Zimbabweans who have benefited from the Olympic sponsorship before.

Coventry, Zimbabwe's Gold olympic swimmer has hinted she would be available for the 2012 Games but would participate in fewer events.

Makusha, who turns 23 on March 11 and is at the Florida State University in the United States of America missed out a medal at the 2008 Games by just a centimetre after posting 8.19 metres against 8.20 for third placed Godfrey Khosto Mokoena of South Africa.

Mutsauki said they had spoken to Makusha who had pledged his commitment to jump for Zimbabwe.