Team Bulawayo gets rousing send-off

The Bulawayo provincial team leaves this morning for the Mashonaland Central capital where they will be expected to acclimatise and also hold some training sessions before serious business starts on Monday.

The province will take a contingent of 253, made up of 194 athletes, 24 coaches and 15 board members.

Speaking during the official send-off ceremony for Team Bulawayo at the Large City Hall car park yesterday afternoon, Mathema said second position was not good enough but instead the province should gun for the top spot.

“Our motto is in royalty . . . we storm through so I am challenging you to storm through. Go out there, play, enjoy but come back home as winners,” said Governor Mathema.

He said the Youth Games were an important event for Bulawayo and nationally and therefore should be taken as such by all stakeholders.

“The Games serve as a platform to identify, test, measure, evaluate and develop talent for local, regional and international events such as the Zone Six Youth Games, All-Africa Games and the Olympics besides promoting good health, national unity and sporting excellence,” said Mathema.

The Governor said the presence of legendary sports persons in the technical teams like Agent Sawu showed the seriousness that the provincial management team led by businessman Raj Modi attaches to the Games.

“Let us therefore go and win in Bindura so that in 2013 our job as hosts will be to defend the title,” said Mathema.

Speaking at the same occasion, provincial management team chief executive officer, Modi assured the governor that Team Bulawayo would do the city proud.

“We have no doubt that we are going to do well in Bindura after three months of thorough preparations,” said Modi.

Meanwhile, Highlanders team doctor Xolani Ndlovu will be the head of the 10th edition of the Games’ medical team whose duty will be to oversee medical needs of all the athletes and officials at the Games.

“Naturally it’s an honour for me although it’s not for the first time as you might be aware that I was also the head of the medical team at the All-Africa Games in Mozambique,” said Ndlovu.