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While it has not yet been confirmed, sources within both the Government and the Sport and Recreation Commission revealed that following the awarding of the bid to play host to the Games by Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture proposed that the extravaganza be brought to the country’s second largest city as a way of spreading sporting activities to various parts of the country.
“It was suggested that the games be brought to Bulawayo on condition that the city meets the set standards in its facilities like the swimming pools among other things,” said a source with the supreme sports body in the country.
The same source also said a shadow local organising team led by civic leaders has already been put in place.
Part of the requirements are that the pool should measure about 50 metres in length while track lanes for athletics should be eight.
The National University of Science and Technology meets the required standard but there are not enough terraces for spectators and even athletes, making White City Stadium the next possible venue.
There might be a need to put two more additional lanes as White City has six.
Contacted for comment, the SRC director general, Charles Nhemachena could not confirm or deny that the Games could be brought to Bulawayo.
“We are playing host to the Games as a country but at the moment consideration is yet to be made on whether the games be brought to the City of Bulawayo or Harare.
“A lot though will depend on the standards that the zone has set and the amount of work that is required to be done in terms of building or renovating existing structures,” said Nhemachena.
If the games are brought to Bulawayo, it will be for the first time since the 1995 All-Africa Games that the city plays host to a major international multi-sport competition.
With the games set for August, the 2014 edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games are likely to be shelved.
The Council of Ministers of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone Six resolved at a meeting of 23 November, 1997 in Cabinda, Angola to institute the Zone Six Under-20 Youth Games. On 7 September, 1999 during a special meeting of the Zone Six SCSA Africa in Johannesburg, it was agreed that the Games be held bi-annually on a compulsory and rotational basis by the 10 Zone Six member states.
The Games have since been organised and hosted by Mozambique in 2004; Namibia in 2006; South Africa in 2008; Swaziland in 2010 and Zambia played host to the 5th edition of the Games last year.
The youth Games are aimed to; encouraging young people from different member states to meet, interact and get to know each other, thereby developing the required immunity spirit and regional integration, developing a spirit of fair play, mutual respect and Olympism among young athletes of the region, and providing opportunities for countries of the region to unite in working on agreed sports programmes.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter