adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND North Provincial Affairs Minister Cain Mathema has hailed athletes from the province that are part of Team Zimbabwe for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under -20 Youth Games that trooped into camp on Friday.Team Zimbabwe is camped at the Bulawayo Polytechnic and will move to the designated Games Village, Hillside Teachers’ College at the same time with other countries’ teams from December 1.
Four athletes, Taslima Hilda Mudimba, Shielda Mpofu and Junior Ncube (netball) and Kwazinkosi Nkomo (athletics) come from Matabeleland North province.
Speaking during a torch relay ceremony at the Lupane bus terminus on Friday, Mathema said the province took great pride in having contributed athletes to the Team Zimbabwe and urged the quartet to give it their best shot.
“We’re proud of you and urge you to give it your best shot. Participation in the Games develops skills such as goal setting among others,” he said.
The Games, he said come at a time when the country is implementing its economic blue print, the ZimAsset which is in line with the African Union programmes.
In line with the Games’ theme, ‘Reach for Greatness,’ Mathema said the country has already fulfilled the theme by becoming the first country in the history of the Games to have a torch as one of the symbols of the Games.
The torch, lit by President Mugabe at State House in Harare on September 18, has gone through all the provinces and is now in Bulawayo where it will be taken to all the province’s five districts from next week up to two days before the start of the Games.
As part of the Games trademark figures, Jumbo, the mascot was again the star attraction in Lupane with scores of school children and teachers from Mabhikwa High and Lupane Primary School, junior and senior police officers as well as villagers taking turns to pose for photographs with Jumbo.
Among the teachers from Mabhikwa High School was former Highlanders hitman Abraham Mbaiwa.
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