Innocent Kurira [email protected]
BULAWAYO’S rich sporting heritage provides a strong foundation for the city to play a bigger role in Zimbabwe’s emerging sports economy, Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube has said.
Speaking at the inaugural Kuzana Sport and Creative Economy Expo in Bulawayo yesterday, Ncube highlighted the city’s contribution to Zimbabwean sport, spanning football, tennis, rugby, cricket and athletics.
“This is the birthplace of Highlanders FC, one of the oldest and most passionately supported football institutions in Africa. It is the home of the iconic Barbourfields Stadium, the legendary tennis courts that raised the world-renowned tennis players Byron and Cara Black, and a breeding ground for generational talents in rugby, cricket and athletics,” said Ncube.
She said Bulawayo’s sporting history demonstrated the deeper social significance of sport.
“Bulawayo’s rich history proves that sport is not just a pastime, it is woven into the very fabric of our culture, identity and community spirit,” she said.
Ncube’s remarks come as the five-day Kuzana Sport and Creative Economy Expo seeks to position sport and the creative industries as drivers of investment, employment and economic growth.
The expo has brought together Government, private-sector players, sporting organisations, athletes, investors and creatives at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds.
The event features conferences, exhibitions, a marathon, music festival, boxing and a Highlanders-Dynamos football spectacle at Barbourfields Stadium, with organisers seeking to showcase the commercial opportunities within sport and the creative economy.
