adminRicky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
THE regional organising committee (ROC) of the December African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games is expected in Bulawayo on Monday to assess the city’s state of preparedness for the sports festival.
ROC officials are expected to hold a series of meetings with the local organising committee which will brief them on progress made on the operational and infrastructural developments before the draw which will be attended by the countries’ chef de missions in a fortnight.
Eleven countries – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe will compete at the Games that will run from December 5-14.
Khonzani Ncube, the LOC chairperson, said officials from the confederations of the eight sporting disciplines – judo, swimming, athletics, tennis, football, boxing, netball and basketball set for the Games will arrive on October 21 with the chef de missions arriving two days later.
“It’s mandatory for the hosts to have final meetings with the ROC, confederations and chef de missions so that they’re briefed on the state of preparedness. The pertinent issues that they’ll be looking at are the infrastructural and operational matters. As the LOC, we’re within the time limits even though we’re rounding up on the venues which we should be handing over to ROC soon,” said Ncube.
Renovations are being done at White City Stadium which will be home to athletics and netball, Bulawayo Athletics Club (tennis), City Pool (swimming), Luveve and Barbourfields stadia (football) as well as the Games’ Village at Hillside Teachers’ College.
Boxing will be held at the City Hall with judo and basketball set for the ZITF.
The draw for the Games will be held during the confederations and chef de missions’ visits.
“For transparency reasons, the draws for the Games will be held on October 24 so that the nations, through their chef de missions witness the process,” Ncube said.
derick.khumalo