adminBukhosi Mangena Sports Correspondent
TEAM Bulawayo’s preparations for the annual National Youth Games set to start in Mutare on August 15 are on course with the province managing to pay registration fees for half of the 200 athletes and officials’ delegation.
Registration for the games is pegged at $80 per individual, which includes food and accommodation, for the two-week jamboree.
Bulawayo becomes the second province after Matabeleland North to have paid some registration fees with less than 10 days left before the official opening ceremony.
Technical teams from the provinces are struggling to raise about $16,000 for their respective delegations’ food and accommodation. Each province will send an average of 200 individuals.
Team Bulawayo’s marketing and publicity manager Dave Simba said they were working around the clock to source funding for the games.
“As a province, we’re working tirelessly to make sure that everything goes according to plan. We want to take everyone with us and we’re looking at 200 athletes and officials and at the rate we’re going, I’m sure we’ll beat the deadline. We embarked on a serious fundraising drive and we’ve since raised funds to pay for half of our team,” said Simba.
The team will go into camp on August 11 and training facilities to be used in preparing for the games have been identified.
Basketball sessions would be held at Eveline High School, football (Barbourfields), volleyball (Raylton Sports Club) and athletics (Masotsha High School).
Neighbouring Mozambique’s Manica province will appear as guest participants at the games.
Selected athletes from some provinces will also visit the Chimoio mass graves in Mozambique as part of a cultural and heritage exchange initiative being introduced in the games for the first time.
Bongani Ndlovu