adminSikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
SENIOR Minister of State in the President’s Office Simon Khaya-Moyo will this morning lead a ministerial delegation on a tour of the African Union Region Five Under-20 Games’ venues in Bulawayo as preparations for the bi-annual sporting showpiece gather momentum.
The region’s chairperson Vetumbuavi Vell from Namibia will also be part of the delegation.
“The Senior Minister Khaya Moyo will lead a delegation of Ministers on a tour tomorrow (today). It’s part of plans to speed up preparations for these Games as well as giving confidence to the people of Bulawayo and the country at large that these Games are indeed coming to Bulawayo and the government is fully geared for that,” said Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa.
Langa said some of his colleagues expected to tour the facilities are Lazarus Dokora (Secondary and Primary Education), David Parirenyatwa (Health and Child Care), Ignatius Chombo (Local Government, Public Works and National Housing), Olivia Muchena (Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology).
The ministerial delegation will be expected to tour the seven venues that have been identified where they will also get a briefing from the local organising committee chief executive officer Henry Manzungu on the progress so far.
It is also believed the date for the official launch of the December Games will be made public, having been postponed from last Friday due to logistical challenges.
Seven venues have already been identified and will soon undergo facelift to meet expected standards. Bulawayo Athletics Club will be used for tennis, White City Stadium will cater for athletics, soccer and netball, Bulawayo Municipal Swimming Pool, ZITF Halls for basketball, judo and boxing. Hillside Teachers’ College and Bulawayo Polytechnic will be used as Games Village and command centres respectively.
Barbourfields, Luveve and White City stadiums were also set to receive facelift ahead of the Games although that plan now looks unlikely given the time factor.
Barbourfields would have seen its seating capacity increased from the present 24,000 spectators to between 30,000 and 35,000 while two more changing rooms will be built to bring to four the number of change rooms.
The stadium, it was hoped, was going to have an oval shape as the open spaces between stands were to be joined.
The VIP stand was also set to be renovated to meet international standards while at Luveve Stadium, the present dressing rooms would have to be changed into public ablution facilities that will accommodate close to 60 people at any given time.
New modern dressing rooms with lockers and bathing facilities were to be built on the western side which is also where the VIP stand will be located which will also have a shade.
Barbourfields will be used for the opening and closing ceremony as well as finals for girls and boys soccer.
White City Stadium will have the cycling track demolished so that the athletics track has eight lanes as per international standards.
Terraces at the stadium were condemned by the city’s engineers and will be demolished and proper ones built.
A new warm up track for the athletes will be built outside the stadium.
Online Reporter