adminRay Bande Mutare Bureau
PREPARATIONS for the 2017 edition of the National Youth Games are back on track after some top government meetings were held in the capital to resolve the deadlock in which the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had threatened to withdraw funding, athletes and officials citing alternative commitments in the National Annual Sports Science and Arts Festival (NASSAF) Games.
In Manicaland, athletes and officials had been told not to report for camp as a directive from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education provincial office.
However, Manicaland Provincial Education Director Edward Shumba confirmed that the decision to withdraw funding and human resources from the National Youth Games had now been reversed.
“It was withdrawn. The whole thing was reversed and preparations for the Games are now ongoing,” said Shumba.
The National Youth Games, which will be hosted by Matabeleland North province this year, are heavily dependent on schools for funding, athletes and officials.
Manicaland had 200 athletes and 40 officials in Chinhoyi for last year’s edition but this year the numbers are expected to double to about 400 athletes and 90 officials.
Team Manicaland general manager Masimba Chihowa said they are expecting to field athletes in every discipline of the annual event.
“We are in camp and our preparations as a province are going ahead. Yes, there could be some challenges naturally because of the changes in format of the games but we are going ahead.
“We are expecting to field athletes for every sporting discipline and this is why at the moment we are hoping to have 400 athletes and 90 officials,” Chihowa said.
The National Youth Games used to have eight sporting codes, mainly for the Under 18 but now were now extending to cover the Under-23 teams from uniformed forces, tertiary institutions, the schools platform as well as the community sports platform.
This was aimed at ensuring that all the talent is captured creating a huge base from which to select talented athletes for higher level training and exposure.
The rebranding is also expected to help accommodate more members of the community.
The 22 disciplines now include football, netball,volleyball,handball, rugby, cricket, hockey,basketball,weightlifting, shooting, rowing, athletics,boxing, cycling,swimming,tennis,karate,golf,pool, darts, chess and table tennis.
Team Manicaland only won the 13th edition since the launch of the games in 2003.
Last year Masvingo emerged winners followed by Harare, Mashonaland West and Manicaland came fourth.
Mashonaland East were fifth followed by Matabeleland North, Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland South and Midlands, respectively.
Online Reporter