Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE countdown is on for the return of the Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games, set for next month in Marondera under the theme “Breaking the Silence Through Sport.”
It will be the first edition in six years, with the last Games, staged by the Sports and Recreation Commission, held in the Midlands in 2019.
The theme for the 2026 Games speaks to a number of issues that affect communities — from drug and substance abuse to sexual reproductive health rights and gender-based violence, stigma and discrimination, as well as digital violence and online abuse.
And the organisers of the Games believe they can break the silence on those issues through sport.
Teams from the country’s 10 provinces are expected to converge in Marondera, as Mashonaland East plays host to the highly anticipated return of the Games.
The National Youth Games are lined up for August 12 to 18, and the Paralympic Games will follow soon after, from August 20 to 26.
Sports and Recreation Commission director general Allen Mavunga said they are excited to have the Games back.
“The National Youth Games are the foundation of youth sports development, and we are delighted to have them back, having last hosted them in 2019.
“The Games represent deliberate and practical application of our values as the SRC.
“They are inclusive, and they are an embodiment of what sport should be: accessible by all young people from all provinces of the country and open to every athlete, including athletes with disabilities.
“This is the mark of these Games,” said Mavunga.
The Games were last held in 2019 in the Midlands.
As they return, about 3 400 athletes are expected to meet in Marondera for the Games, and they will be out not only to compete for medals but also to play a role through sport, to positively impact communities.
For the Youth Games, athletes will compete in athletics, basketball, boxing, football, netball, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. Judo is also on the programme as an exhibition code.
The Paralympic Games’ programme will see athletes competing for honours in athletics (visually impaired T11 — T13, Special Olympics athletics, goalball, wheelchair basketball, football — 11-aside hearing impaired, netball — hearing impaired, and wheelchair athletics.
The Games went off the radar in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic before being put on hold by the need to realign the event to the best practices in safeguarding, training, and talent growth pathways.
It has been 23 years since the Games were inaugurated in 2003 in Bulawayo as a national strategy meant to enhance sport development among the youths who are below the age of 20.
They serve as a platform for talent identification, evaluation, and development.
The return of the Games comes at a time when the African Union Sports Council Region 5 is also pushing for excellence, and announced late last year, the introduction of qualifying standards for their Youth Games, starting with this year’s edition in Mozambique.
The AUSC Region 5 Youth Games are pencilled for December 4 to 13 in Maputo, Mozambique.
There are several events that will be used for qualification, including the National Youth Games.
The idea is to address issues of high performance starting at country level.
And the AUSC believes the move will also have ripple effects in terms of development as member-countries have to also invest in sporting infrastructure, equipment, technical officials, and coaches, among other aspects.
For some of the national associations, the upcoming national games are a platform to identify athletes for the regional Games.
