Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, [email protected]
THE country’s primary and secondary schools athletes who were set to represent Zimbabwe at the regional Confederation of Southern Africa Schools Sports Association (Cossasa) games in Zambia were left disappointed following cancellation of the competitions.
The Cossasa track and field games had been scheduled to run from today (May 4) to May 8 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Team Zimbabwe, made up of Under-13 athletes provided by the National Association for Primary Heads (Naph) and the Under-15s as well as Under-17s from the National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) broke their five-day camp in Harare yesterday.
Cephas Mutumhe, Nash vice-president said: “We’ve received communication that the Cossasa games have been canceled after some countries failed to secure funding. Obviously, this is not good news and we’re disappointed as we had been in camp since Saturday, April 29 getting ready for the games,” said Mutumhe.
Acting Cossasa president Arthur Maphosa said they were forced to cancel the games as they had only two countries, Zambia and Zimbabwe, confirming their participation.
Namibia, Eswatini and Lesotho who had earlier indicated they are participating withdrew citing financial incapacitation.
Maphosa apologised to Zimbabwe and Zambia.
“We want to express our sincere apologies to Zimbabwe and Zambia who had channeled their limited resources to ensure that the come-back games become a success. We are extremely sorry to Zambia (ZASSA) through its President, the Headmasters Association through its Dean, the Zambian Government through the Ndola Secretary for Education, for having accepted to take up the challenge of hosting Cossasa athletics at very short notice and all the work that had been put in to ensure that the games become a reality,” said Maphosa. — @ZililoR
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