adminNgqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
TEAM Zimbabwe’s preparations for the Africa Union Sports Council Region Five under-20 Youth Games received a boost when Treasury last week released $200 000 to enable the athletes to camp and train.Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa said Team Zimbabwe officials had approached him highlighting their plight, and he had acceded by making efforts to ensure that funds were released so that the athletes started training for the games.
Langa confirmed that officials had presented a budget of $742 000, and that he was confident all the money would be availed to ensure Team Zimbabwe got adequate preparations so that they succeed on the pitch at the Games that would run from 5 to 14 December in Bulawayo.
In an interview last week Langa said he had been concerned by Team Zimbabwe’s late preparations.
“I had been concerned by reports the athletes are yet to meet for camping and training as this would have a negative impact on their performance and I am glad we managed to expedite the release of the required funds once they approached my office.
“Treasury released $200 000 on Thursday to Team Zimbabwe and I am sure this will give them the opportunity to begin their preparations in earnest,” he said.
Langa said as the host country it was crucial for the athletes to have the highest medal haul at the Games.
“As the host country, I believe the athletes should be given time to prepare well and in time so that we take more medals than any other country in each sport. I know there had been concerns but Treasury has assured us all the money will be released. Team Zimbabwe is also expected to converge towards the end of the month just before the Games for a thorough training session,” he said.
There had been growing concerns in the sporting fraternity of the failure of Team Zimbabwe to hold training camps with the unavailability of funds being the main reason. With just over a month before the Games kick off, there were fears that local athletes would play second fiddle and embarrass Zimbabwe as the host country, due to inadequate training. The Games will see under-20 athletes from 11 countries in the Southern African region competing in eight sporting disciplines namely, football, netball, judo, basketball, boxing, swimming, tennis and athletics.
The sporting extravaganza, previously known as the Zone Six Games were inaugurated in 2004 in Mozambique following a Council of Ministers of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI meeting held in 1997 in Cabinda, Angola. On 7 September 1999 during a special meeting of the Zone Six Supreme Council for Sport in Africa in Johannesburg, it was agreed that the Games be held bi–annually on a compulsory and rotational basis by the member states. The Games have since been organised and hosted by Mozambique 2004, Namibia 2006, South Africa 2008, Swaziland 2010 and Zambia played host to the fifth edition in 2012. The aim of the event is to use sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa and sport as a vehicle for encouraging people to develop and come together irrespective of colour, economic status, political inclination, class or gender.rticipating countries include hosts Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, Swaziland, Seychelles and Malawi.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter