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Collin Matiza
SPORTS codes on the official 11th edition of the Region 5 Youth Games programme have now been announced.
The Games are scheduled to be held from May 2 to 11, 2025, in Windhoek, Namibia.
The 2024 Region 5 Youth Games are scheduled to be hosted in May 2025.
The decision was endorsed by the Region 5 Council of Ministers on December 15, 2023, after having made several pertinent observations.
The conscious decision was made upon realizing that Namibia was not going to conclude the required government processes leading up to the signing of the Games Protocol Agreement in time. Furthermore, the year 2024 was heavy laden with other key continental and international events key among them being the Football African Cup of Nations held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire earlier in the year as well as the 13th edition of the African Games held in Accra, Ghana in March 2024.
This is in addition to the Olympic and Paralympic Games scheduled for July and September 2024 in Paris, France.
Speaking from the Region 5 Headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, the Region 5 CEO, Stanley Mutoya of Zimbabwe, yesterday announced the following as the sports codes on the official Youth Games programme: Athletics (including Athletics for the visually impaired T11 to T13 categories); Basketball (including 3×3), Boxing, E-Sports, Football, Judo, Karate, Netball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis and Volleyball (including Beach Volleyball).
Karate and Table Tennis become the new sports on the programme replacing Gymnastics and Taekwondo who will not be part of these Games edition after having featured in the past.
The Region 5 Games draw athletes from all 10 Member Countries including non-Region 5 SADC Member Countries.
“These Games have become a strong pillar of development and a cardinal platform for sporting excellence from which many athletes have carved their careers,” Mutoya said.
“The likes of Collins Mbesuma and Partson Daka (both of Zambia), Caster Semenya and Wayde Van Niekerk (both of South Africa), Nigel Amos and Naomi Ruele (both of Botswana), Donata Katai (Zimbabwe), Partson Daka and recently Christine Mboma (Namibia) have all been part of the Games and went on to become regional and global sports stars.
“The Games have also stimulated growth in other sectors of the economy including the hospitality industry, small to medium scale enterprises, infrastructure and human capital development.
“Through the Games, Region 5 governments have collectively invested over US$150million in sports infrastructure development over the last twenty years.
“This is in addition to other non-sport infrastructure investment.
“Through these Games, universities and other tertiary institutions that served as Games Villages have been upgraded.
“Roads have been rehabilitated as have other amenities such as internet connectivity, public transport systems and hotel refurbishments as a result of these Games.
“In addition, technical officials and coaches have had an opportunity to showcase their potential with some of them having gone further to be appointed for international assignments,” Mutoya said.
Region 5 continues to score firsts over the years, consistent with its mantra, that of setting standards.
In 2022, Region 5 introduced E-Sports for the first time and this time it will be the Special Olympics.
Asked on the next steps regarding the Games, Mutoya said: “The respective Regional Sports Confederations have already been contacted. An introductory meeting has been scheduled for 10 May 2024.
Thereafter, an inspection visit will be made to Namibia so that respective Confederations identify technical specifications that require attention by the host country. This will assist the host country produce the bill of quantities and scope of work for the facilities rehabilitation.”
Mutoya stated that Region 5 will not require the host country to construct any new facilities for the May 2025 Games. Rather they will only stick to sports codes whose facilities require rehabilitation and refurbishment only.
He further mentioned that Namibia will be required to get all facilities and equipment for the Games ready by March 31, 2025.
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