adminRicky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE last batch of Team Zimbabwe left yesterday morning for the Confederation of School Sport Associations of Southern Africa (Cossasa) ball games, which start tomorrow and end on Sunday in Windhoek, Namibia.
Two age-groups, the Under-13s under the auspices of the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph), and Under-17s under the National Association for Secondary School Heads (Nash), will represent Zimbabwe at the regional games.
The first batch of 84 junior athletes and eight officials departed from their Bulawayo camping base by road on Monday, while the final group of 50 athletes and five officials left the country yesterday.
Arthur Maphosa, the acting Nash president, said the athletes are geared up for the games.
“The games start on Thursday and the juniors (Under-13s) left on Monday. Our bus came late from service and that is why we decided to leave today (yesterday). However, despite these minor travelling hiccups, the athletes are in high spirits and are really looking forward to the games,” said Maphosa.
Naph teams that will compete for honours in Namibia are netball, tennis (boys and girls), boys’ rugby 7s, and girls’ and boys’ volleyball.
Nash took along the girls’ and boys’ basketball, tennis and volleyball as well as the netball team.
Maphosa said financial constraints forced them to drop some sporting disciplines, adding that the Nash girls’ and boys’ soccer teams will seek solace in a Copa Coca-Cola trip to Kenya.
@ZililoR
Online Reporter