Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
THE Sport and Recreation Commission (SRC) says it is ready for the returning Zimbabwe National Youth Games that will bring together 2 100 athletes and contribute to host town Marondera’s economy.
Allen Mavunga, the SRC’s director-general said everything has been put in place for the Games to kick off in Marondera’s Rhudaka Stadium which will play host to the opening and closing ceremonies.
He said the support for the Games was good and was helping put together the pieces to the organisers and participants’ puzzle.
“We continue to receive support from the Ministry of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture. We are also seeing interest from corporate partners such as the TN Holdings Group who came on board recently with a multi-year partnership worth US$1.05 million over five years for the Games,” said Mavunga.
He added: “Preparations are going well. We have teams on the ground ensuring key issues such as accommodation, catering and sporting facilities are of the requisite standard.”
The Zimbabwe National Youth Games are a Government initiative to develop sport at youth level and below culminating in provincial selects clashing in athletics, basketball, boxing, football, judo, netball, table tennis, volleyball and sport for people with disabilities in which 1 340 participants are expected.
The organisers have identified several institutions to play host to a number of disciplines.
Wise Owl High School will be the venue for wheelchair basketball, Peterhouse Girls High School will have basketball, Bernard Mizeki table tennis, Marondera High School will be abuzz with activity as it hosts women’s football, judo, volleyball, football and netball for those with a hearing impairment.
Athletics, basketball and tennis will be at Peterhouse Boys’ High School while Waddilove will have athletics for the visually impaired, wheelchair athletics and goalball.
A number of sporting disciplines want athletes born not earlier than January 1, 2009 which bodes well for the developing talent and future national teams.
It is a platform where provinces measure how good their development programmes are.
Football will have the largest number of participants with 440, followed by athletics with 380 and basketball and volleyball with 320 each.
In the Paralympic section, football will have 440, athletics with its different disability categories will contribute 220 athletes alongside wheelchair basketball.
