adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
BULAWAYO’S four premiership sides might play some of their home games away from their home grounds to allow for renovations of the stadia ahead of the African Union Region Five Under-20 Games that will be held in December in the city.
The country’s second largest city has four clubs playing in the elite league – Chicken Inn, How Mine and Bantu Rovers who all share Luveve Stadium while giants Highlanders use Barbourfields Stadium.
Initial plans were that Bulawayo’s ceremonial home of football, Barbourfields, will see its seating capacity increasing from the present 24,000 spectators to between 30,000 and 35,000 while two more changing rooms will be constructed to bring to four the number of changing rooms. The terraces will take an oval shape as new terraces, where there are presently gaps, will be built.
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 that will accommodate close to 60 people at any given time.
New modern dressing rooms with lockers and bathing facilities will be built on the western side which is also where the VIP stand will be located.
Acting Bulawayo Mayor Gift Banda confirmed that the venues will have to be closed to allow for the renovations.
“The teams might have to play some of their home games away from their usual home grounds to pave way for renovations,” said Banda.
There have also been suggestions that the PSL season should end late September or early October to allow for the renovations but officials have been mum to confirm or even comment on those reports.
Local organising committee chairperson Khonzani Ncube when asked to comment on the early season closure last week, initially promised to issue a statement later on that day but when contacted later referred Chronicle Sport to the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture.
“I think they are the one with the authority to comment on what you are asking about,” she said.
PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said the league will issue a statement at the appropriate time “but everything is well under control and we know what we are doing”.
The 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 September 7, 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 rotational basis.
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.
Sport has the power to unite people and knows no language, culture or race. It speaks to youth and can create hope.
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