adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
PROVINCIAL Sports Co-ordinator for Harare Province Newsten Chipoya is confident their team will make a big impression at the National Youth Games slated for Bulawayo from August 17 to 24. The Games will see the country’s 10 provinces battling it out in athletics, basketball, football, handball, netball, volleyball, boxing and tennis.
Harare are the defending champions and have been dominating the Games since their inception in 2003.
Chipoya said they were fielding 254 athletes and will compete in all the eight sporting disciplines on offer as they seek to retain their title.
The team got into camp on Wednesday at Roosevelt and Churchill before they left Harare yesterday for Bulawayo and Chipoya said the move will allow their athletes to settle ahead of the Games.
“It’s always a challenge to be the defending champions. We have to prepare to retain our title. We started camp two to three months ago training on the weekend.
“We want athletes to settle and get used to the competition venues they will be using during the Games.
“We are going to field athletes in all the eight sporting disciplines that are on offer but we also have a challenge for basketball as we will be carrying our third best team because some of our players are in camp for national duty.
“But it’s not a big issue because it’s good for our players since this is a developmental programme,” said Chipoya.
Sports Commission corporate communications officer, Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, said preparations for the Games were on course with all provincial teams already in camp and they are expected to be Bulawayo tomorrow.
“We are almost ready to roll in terms of the National Youth Games. There have been quite a number of few changes.
“We are expecting provinces to arrive on August 17 and we appeal to provinces to make sure they travel during the day and avoid speeding because it has nasty consequences.
“We are going to have the official opening on the 18th and the Games begin on the 19th, at the same time we will be starting the Youth Leadership Camp drawing 40 participants, we will have four participants per province ideally two boys and two girls.
“The purpose is to provide leadership skills to young people, so that they become sports administrators and responsible citizens.
“The other development is the Olympism trophies, this is a way ZOC has assisted through the Zimbabwe Olympic Academy to promote Olympic values of fair play, friendliness, pursuit of excellence and respect of others.
“On the local organising committee, the facilities are now ready for use for those that were constructed,” said Nheweyembwa.
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