adminRay Bande in MUTARE and Ellina Chitsiga in HARARE
ALL is set for the 13th edition of the National Youth Games in Mutare which are expected to be officially opened by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa at Sakubva tomorrow.
More than 3 500 athletes and officials from different provinces will converge in Mutare for the annual sporting festival which runs from tomorrow until to August 23.
Local Organising Committee chief executive Cosmas Chiringa confirmed that all was set for the event and participants were expected to arrive in the eastern border city today.
Chiringa allayed fears that there could be a shortage of food during the Games.
“As LOC Manicaland, I can safely say we are ready to host the event. Everything is now in place and we are now awaiting the arrival of participating provinces on Saturday (today).
“Accommodation for athletes and officials is already in place, while the venues where the Games will be held have been spruced up.
“We will have the official opening on Sunday (tomorrow) at Sakubva Stadium where Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa will be the guest of honour.
“We really want to thank all those who supported us by donating generously towards the event. Companies and individuals in Manicaland and beyond have been very co-operative and I think we should thank them for their sense of responsibility against the background of the harsh economic conditions.
“However, we also continue to implore all those who can donate to do so, especially in terms of vehicles that can be used to ferry participants from one place to the other during the seven-day long event,” said Chiringa.
The Mutare District Administrator urged the people of Mutare to throng thje Games venues in their num- bers.
Participants during the annual multi-sport discipline event compete in a total of eight sporting disciplines that include soccer, athletics, handball, boxing, tennis, netball, volleyball and basketball. For the first time in the 12-year history of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games, an eleventh provincial team from Mozambique – Team Manica – will partake in the 2015 ZNYG.
Team Manica, which made up of players and officials from Mozambique’s Manica Province, will feature in this year’s edition of the annual multi-sports discipline event upon the invitation of Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs, Mandi Chimene.
General manager for the Manicaland team James Mwonzora said they were going for the title and will be competing in all the dis- ciplines.
“We have been preparing since August 6. We have been in camp, we are actually eyeing the pole position because we also want to utilise home advantage.
“We are raring to go and yesterday we had a send-off ceremony by Honourable Minister (Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister, Mandi Chimene).
“And I would like to say we have no excuse for failure.
“We will be fielding athletes in all events except for girls boxing. We have a team of 200 athletes in camp,” said Mwonzora.
Manicaland have never won the title since the Games started in 2003.
“What makes us confident is the amount of preparation and effort we have put in for this event. And at some point we have to break the history, we want to break the jinx this year,” Mwonzora said.
Online Reporter