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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
THE GOVERNMENT, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, has taken the fight against drug and substance abuse to another level.
With the menace increasingly threatening social fabric and the well-being of future generations, Government authorities have rolled out national sports festivals which have culminated into the finals to be staged at Checheche Growth Point, Chipinge, next week.
The ground-breaking national jamboree saw participants battling it out in different sport codes, including football, netball, volleyball and athletics.
The finals, which will be held from May 2-4, will also see visual artists, musicians, comedians and poets performing.
Director of Sport and Recreation in the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Eugenia Chidhakwa, said all is set for the finals in Chipinge.
“All is set for the finals. The co-ordinators led by our sports officer Masimba Mutemaringa are already on the ground.
“The use of harmful drugs and substances by youths is increasing on a daily basis. As the Sport and Recreation Department, we consider sport and recreation as strong tools to address anomalies, including this menace,” said Chidhakwa.
“We have convened annual festivals on the participation of people in the communities of all the 10 Provinces of Zimbabwe since March.
“The festivals were implemented from ward level up to the national level.
“The Fitness and Wellness Festivals seek to bring the significance of youth’s participation in sport and recreation.
“The 2023 Fitness and Wellness Festival have also encompassed the participation of people with disability as our national mantra states that we should leave no one and no place behind.
“The finals of the festival will be held in Chipinge next week.”
Running under the theme “Curbing drugs and substance abuse through fitness and wellness #mentalhealthmatters”, the festival seeks to emphasise on the importance of bold transformative ideas and accessible education in combating discrimination as well as fighting the use of drugs and substance abuse by young people in diferrent communities.
“The participation in Fitness and Wellness sport activities is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equity and democracy.
“Research has indicated that when people are engaged in sport and recreation activities they will have high levels of self-esteem and confidence,” said Chidhakwa.
“The Fitness and Wellness Festivals should capacitate the marginalised people and give them an equal opportunity to participate in Sport and Recreation activities. It has been noted that most people with disability living in rural areas are not actively involved in sport.
”The majority of them will travel to growth points and urban areas to beg whilst others are making are living through Sport and Recreation.
“In this regard, the Government, through the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, has taken a move in the promotion of inclusion in Sport and Recreation by inviting people with disability from different communities and backgrounds to participate in the festivals to pave a way and create a healthy active community with a changed mindset.”
Ten community teams for all the sport codes will battle it out while 18 teams from different Government Ministries will also take part in the fiesta. A low cost tennis court will also be commissioned at Checheche High School.
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In the same vein, the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation have commented mushrooming fitness clubs in the country, saying they help enhance physical and mental fitness in the society.
One such fitness club, PaGomo, which is based in Avondale, is set to be launched today.
It has since been registered with the Zimbabwe Aerobics and Fitness Association.
Speaking ahead of the mega launch, club co-founder Rosemary Chitungo said the club wants to play its small role in combating drug abuse.
“Our approach to fitness is holistic. We want to see our members gaining fitness in every facet-physical, psychosocial and mental.
“We are very happy that after starting our club in October last year, we are now formalising everything through this massive launch.”
Online Reporter