admin
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
ATHLETES who are set to participate in the 10th edition of the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games in Lilongwe, Malawi, early next month are scheduled to go into camp in Harare this Friday.
The biannual jamboree is billed to run from December 2 to 11 in the Malawian capital under the theme “Igniting the African Dream”.
The fiesta is designed for participants under the age of 20 who will compete in 12 sport codes, including athletics, basketball, boxing, E-Sports, football, gymnastics, judo, netball, swimming, tennis, volleyball and taekwondo.
Around 2 000 athletes from 10 countries are scheduled to compete at the meet.
And local participants will this Friday go into camp in Harare to polish up preparations before their departure to Lilongwe a week later.
Team Zimbabwe Chef de Mission, Simbarashe Mutemaringa, yesterday confirmed the team will get into camp on Friday.
“The preparations for the Africa Union Sports Council Region 5 Games are well on course.
“Technical officials have been working round the clock to make sure all deserving athletes are considered,” said Mutemaringa.
“And this Friday, the teams will be getting into camp at a central place in Harare.
“We are running around to put all the logistical support in place. Come Friday, the athletes will be in camp readying for the games.
“We have to make sure they finalise their preparations in the best way they can.
“We have been on the ground, looking at how they have been doing it and we are satisfied. The camp is meant to allow the athletes to gel in many ways.
“The athletes, who have been selected, are in high spirits and they have been training all along. We hope to see them doing very well at the games. We are very confident they will be able to make some huge impact in Malawi.”
Mutemaringa said the AUSC Region 5 Games are pivotal in forming the basis of development for the country.
“These games are very significant and important. We need to hoist high our country’s flag. You also ought to know that some sport codes like basketball will also be used in these AUSC Region 5 Games as the qualifiers for international tournaments. The athletes are raring to go and we are positive the team will rake in many medals for the country”.
Mutemaringa has already been to Malawi twice in recent weeks where he met his colleagues from different participating countries.
They have toured the facilities in Lilongwe and Mutemaringa said he is satisfied with how organised the host country is in terms of its readiness to stage the games.
The team is expected to fly out to Malawi later this month.
Online Reporter