Online Reporter
Arthur Choga
Zimpapers Correspondent
SPORT, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe has declared the Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games on track after touring competition and accommodation facilities being used for the sporting jamboree in Marondera.
The Minister visited several venues across the Mashonaland East provincial capital, watching athletes in action and assessing the facilities supporting the return of the Games after a six-year absence.
Sanyatwe watched women’s football at Rudhaka Stadium before touring Wise Owl High School, where he observed volleyball and inspected accommodation facilities.
He also visited Peterhouse Boys, where athletics competitions were underway, and Watershed College, which is hosting netball and men’s football.
The Minister was accompanied by his Ministry’s Chief Director Eugenia Chidhakwa, Sports and Recreation Commission chairman Nathaniel Madzivanyika, the Commission’s director-general Mr Allen Mavunga and other senior officials from the sport regulatory body.
“We are happy to see the young people taking part in these Games and showing us what we have missed since 2019,” said Sanyatwe.
“We are grateful to the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Advocate Itayi Ndudzo, for hosting this edition of the Games.”
The Minister’s tour provided an opportunity to assess the readiness of venues and accommodation facilities as thousands of young athletes from across the country converge in Marondera for the two-week sporting showcase.
SRC Director for Sport and Recreation Development and Games Director Sebastian Garikayi led the touring delegation through the various venues, outlining the competition and qualification formats and expressing confidence that the Games would produce strong performances from Zimbabwe’s emerging sporting talent.
Garikayi said the competition was progressing according to plan, with athletes competing for honours while also gaining valuable exposure and experience.
The tour was also attended by representatives of TN Asset Management, TN Beverages, TN Livestock Trust and TN Cybertech Bank, which recently entered into a five-year partnership agreement with the SRC to support the Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games.
The Games, which returned to the national sporting calendar after being last held in 2019, are being held under the theme; “Breaking the Silence Through Sport”, highlighting the role of sport in youth development, talent identification, inclusion and creating platforms for young people to express themselves.
The programme also incorporates the Paralympic Games, providing a national platform for athletes with disabilities to compete and showcase their talent.
With competition continuing across various sporting disciplines, the Games are expected to provide an important pathway for identifying and nurturing the next generation of Zimbabwean sporting talent.
