adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
AS National Youth Games draw closer, Harare Province athletics will this week hold their final selection event to choose their team at Prince Edward School.
The rebranded Games, now featuring 22 disciplines from the previous eight, are set for Matabeleland North from August 17 to 27.
Harare Athletics Board secretary-general Silas Muringani said the selection meet pencilled for Saturday presents all athletes from the province with an opportunity to compete for positions in the team.
“These are developmental Games and we want to give every deserving athlete an opportunity to showcase their talent,” Muringani said.
The province is hoping to come up with a strong team in the track and field events to maintain their dominance.
Team manager Aaron White said selection will be based on current form since some of the athletes have not been active with the top two making the team.
“Basically what we will be looking at is current form because some of them, especially the Under-18s, have not been training.
“So what we will be looking at is current form, those athletes who are in form, who have been preparing for this event.
“We are not going to choose our team based on the previous performances or previous achievements or just go for names but we are going to look at current form, those who are in form now are the people we are going to take which is why it’s a selection race.
“So those who come and compete and come first and second are the ones who will be chosen regardless of whether they have been performing well previously,” said White.
White said they are looking at fielding athletes in all events on offer but are not going for quantity but quality.
“Speaking from experience what I know about Harare is that they don’t go for numbers. But we normally go for those events which we know we normally do well.
“So it’s not just an issue of fielding athletes but we would want to take athletes who will come back with medals because remember the economic situation is tough at the moment.
“It’s not just an issue of taking numbers but we would like to take people who bring us medals,” said White.
Preparations for the annual Games at the national level have also intensified with the Sports Commission, Sport and Recreation Ministry as well as the Local Organising Committee and other stakeholders touring the sporting and accommodation facilities in Matabeleland North last week.
This year’s Games will see participants taking part in athletics, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, karate, netball, pool, rowing, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.
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