Zim eye title at regional schools games

Innocent Kurira

TEAM Zimbabwe is ready to claim the Confederation of Schools Sport Association of Southern Africa (Cossasa) title with action in the games set to get underway today.

The games will be held at various venues across Bulawayo in the next three days.

The participating teams are the hosts Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia.

The teams will compete in football, handball, basketball, netball, and volleyball for Under-15s (boys and girls) as well as Under-18s.

Amon Mlilo, the National Association of Primary School Heads sports welfare chairman, said they are more than ready for the games.

“In terms of preparations, everything is in order. We are quite far ahead and everything is in place. The teams have been giving extra effort at training and they look sharp in terms of their fitness levels. We are promising fireworks in these games,” said Mlilo.

The regional games bring together primary and secondary school sports teams.

The games’ marketing and publicity chairperson, Dave Simba, said it’s all systems go ahead of today’s start.

“Zimbabwe and Bulawayo are ready to host the Cossasa games. The teams had an induction yesterday to give them a feel of how the games are run. We will have the opening ceremony at White City Stadium tomorrow.

“We are grateful to sponsors that have come on board and also appeal to the corporate world to come and assist the school children,” said Simba.

The official opening and closing ceremonies will be held at White City Stadium today and on Thursday, with several preliminary games at other venues.

Netball, athletics, football (final), and volleyball (final) will also take place at White City Stadium.

Preliminary football games will be held at Gifford High School with Northlea hosting basketball matches.

Handball and volleyball preliminary matches will be at St Columba’s High School.

The Games were supposed to have athletics and ball games separately, with Lesotho hosting athletics, but they are now all taking place in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe became a member of Cossasa in 2009.