adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE government has assured the nation that funds will be released soon to start preparations for the 2014 Sixth Supreme Council for Sport in Africa Region Five Under-20 Games.The bi-annual Youth Games showpiece will be held in Bulawayo in December and over 4,000 athletes and officials are expected to be in Zimbabwe’s second largest city.
The local organising committee led by Henry Manzungu set a budget of $46 million with $36 million set to go towards construction work.
According to the plan of action Barbourfields, Luveve and White City Stadiums will receive massive facelifts ahead of the Games.
Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of football, Barbourfields will see its sitting capacity increasing from the present 22,000 spectators to between 30,000 and 35,000 while two more changing rooms will be built to bring to four the number of changing rooms.
The stadium will have an oval shape as the open spaces between stands will be joined together. The VIP stand will also be renovated to meet international standards while at Luveve Stadium, the present dressing rooms will be changed into public ablution facilities that will accommodate close to 60 people at any given time.
New modern dressing rooms with lockers, bathing facilities will be built on the western side which is also where the VIP stand will be located and will have a shed.
Barbourfields will be used for the opening and closing ceremony as well as finals for girls and boys’ soccer. White City Stadium will have the cycling track demolished so that the athletics track has eight lanes as per international standards.
Terraces at the stadium were condemned by the city’s engineers and will be demolished and proper ones built. A new warm up track for the athletes will be built outside the stadium.
“There has been a little delay in the release of funds yes, but very soon those funds will be availed to us. We are constantly in touch with the Ministry of Finance and I assure you those funds will be made available soon,” said Thokozani Chitepo, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture.
She said the government, through President Mugabe was fully committed to staging the Games in Bulawayo and construction and renovation work would start soon.
She remained optimistic that all set targets will be met in time ahead of the Games that will bring 15 countries to Zimbabwe.
“Don’t be fooled by those spreading sentiments that the Games will be taken away from Bulawayo or even Zimbabwe. His Excellency, President Mugabe personally gave his consent and chairs the region. He is fully behind these Games and there will be held,” said the permanent secretary.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sports, Arts and Culture Themba Mliswa has twice questioned the wisdom of bringing these games to Bulawayo when Harare has better facilities.
Civic organisations in the city, however, blasted the legislator for what they called retrogressive comments. The competition is expected to be stiffer this year as five more countries joined the zone, namely Uganda, Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar and Tanzania. Seven venues around the city have been identified for use.
Bulawayo Athletics Club will be used for tennis, White City Stadium for athletics, soccer and netball, City Pool for swimming, Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) Halls for basketball, judo and boxing.
Online Reporter