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Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls
Athletes from the country’s 10 provinces have converged at Victoria Falls’ Mosi-oa-Tunya High School sports arena for the 2024 National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) athletics national competitions.
Nash national head-in-charge of athletics Roland Sibanda said all provinces safely arrived in Victoria Falls on Tuesday ahead of today’s competitions.
He said all participants have since secured accommodation mostly in schools and lodges.
The competitions have started with the 10 000m race.
“Teams from 10 provinces in Zimbabwe arrived safely and are here represented by athletes. We had our technical meeting while all athletes have been booked in schools. The competitions will spill over to tomorrow the final day when the deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Recreation Angeline Gata will officiate at the opening and closing ceremony,” he said.
Sibanda who is the host school’s head, said the event promotes local tourism as thousands of learners and community members are expected to throng the venue.
Victoria Falls residents have started trickling into the school to watch and support athletes as the resort town continues to position itself as a sports destination.
The day started with provinces, dressed in their traditional trademark colours, performing their war cry songs.
The corporate world has also joined in with help in various areas of need including supplying water, accommodation, kits, and medals and has pitched their banners at the sports arena.
The Government is pursuing a revitalised tourism agenda under the National Tourism Growth and Recovery Strategy launched by President Mnangagwa in 2020.
The need to come up with new products and activities is top on the agenda.
Sports, religious, cultural, and gastronomy tourism are some of the new products being pursued.
Victoria Falls was selected as the venue as Matabeleland North hosts the 2024 Nash athletics competition.
Some would have preferred Hwange Colliery Stadium but the ground has limited tracks as it has less than the standard 10.
The city will be painted in different colours with Bulawayo in their traditional black attires, Harare white, Manicaland gold, Masvingo, Mashonaland Central bottle green, Mashonaland East green, Mashonaland West yellow, Matabeleland North navy blue, Matabeleland South royal blue and Midlands red.
Nash leadership said it was engaging the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority for a waiver for athletes to enter the Rainforest.
After the national finals, Zimbabwe will set team COSSASA in preparation for the regional games set for Lesotho in April or May.
Online Reporter