adminTHE nation’s representatives at the second edition of the Africa Youth Olympic Games in Gaborone, Botswana are set to leave the country on Tuesday morning.
Team Zimbabwe will travel by road from Harare and pass through Bulawayo to Botswana.
The youth team will compete in 11 different sporting disciplines that include aquatics, athletics, basketball (girls), golf, judo, karate, netball, rowing, rugby (boys), tennis and triathlon. The games which cater for athletes aged 18 and below begin on Thursday and end on 31 May.
In a telephone interview ahead of departure, the team’s manager Addison Chiware said 61 athletes and 83 delegates will make the trip to Botswana.
Athletes based in Harare and other provinces will meet tomorrow in the capital at the Zesa Training Institute ahead of departure on Tuesday.
“We leave Harare on Tuesday and pass through Bulawayo picking other athletes based in that city,” he said.
Chiware said the main aim of the games was to bring together youths from across the continent to interact and share ideas. The Games will also give African countries an opportunity to prepare for the Summer Youth Olympics scheduled for China in August.
“The games were introduced in 2012 in Rabat, Morocco with the view of developing youth talent on the continent for various international youth Olympic Games. They were also meant to develop networking among the African Youths in sport,” he said, adding that athletes will travel in batches.
“We decided to take 46 athletes for the first trip then others will follow, particularly those taking part in disciplines that start a bit late. We thought it best they remained behind and focused on their studies,” he said.
Three athletes from Bulawayo are part of the travelling athletics team.
Talented Yvonne Vhanuvaone will compete in the 400m, triple jumper Nomagugu Ndlovu in the field while Niama Dube will represent the country in the 100m and 200m sprints.
Rusape-based Brian Nhubu, who is in charge of the athletics team, was optimistic that his charges will perform well in Botswana.
“I think the athletes are ready for the event and I am certain they will do well in Botswana despite the fact that they were training on their own in their respective provinces. They should bear in mind that this event also presents an opportunity for them to further sharpen their skills ahead of the summer youth Olympics in China,” he said.
Nhubu is an experienced coach at national level having led a national youth side that took part in last year’s Ukraine Youth Championships.
Online Reporter