Online Reporter
Don Makanyanga, Zimpapers Sports Hub
SPORT, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe says Zimbabwe’s ability to host major international sporting events are fruits of the Government’s policy on re-integration and re-engagement.
He was speaking after touring Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Sports Club in Harare yesterday, two of the three venues, which are set to be used for the U-19 International Cricket Council (ICC) One Day International (ODI) World Cup.
Minister Sanyatwe believes that hosting the global showcase, which will run from January 15 to February 6, 2026, is a sign of confidence by international federations on Zimbabwe.
“These are now the fruits of re-engagement,” said Minister Sanyatwe. “The world is now seeing Zimbabwe as a potential country to invest, thereby inviting direct foreign investment and thus the route to take as we move into the future.”
After touring the two facilities, Minister Sanyatwe said he was impressed by the level of preparedness.
“As we are preparing for the main cricket event in the 2027 World Cup and the U-19 World Cup tournament, it was within my schedule to visit and tour and satisfy myself with the state of preparedness regarding the sporting facilities throughout the country.
“I have inspected two facilities that will be used, Harare Sports Club and Takashinga Sports Club in Highfield. I am quite happy with the mass improvement, which has been ongoing here at Takashinga Sports Club.
“At Harare Sports Club, we toured a newly constructed indoor facility, which I will commission as we move into the new year.
“I can assure the nation that we are now ready to host eight of the teams of those participating in the ICC U-19 ODI World Cup as we are co-hosting the event with Namibia.
“We are ready, and I hope the boys perform to the best and win the tournament,” said Minister Sanyatwe.
The Minister revealed that the Government has been working closely with the local cricket motherboard to ensure that the upcoming tournament will be a success.
“The relationship between the Government and Zimbabwe Cricket is very cordial. We are working very closely with Zimbabwe Cricket to ensure that the tournament will be a success and if I am to say that our working relations with all disciplines, be it rugby cricket or soccer, as you can see that we have been fully supporting our Warriors, we have good working relations with all the codes,” he said.
Minister Sanyatwe said the Government is committed to sport infrastructure development in the country.
“The thrust of Government or rather of the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, is that we should avail the sporting facilities and decentralise the construction of these facilities to the grassroots, preferably to the provinces not forgetting long term to the districts.
“We have secured a piece of land to construct a multi-purpose stadium, sporting facility in High Glen and I should be very thankful to the local authority of Harare through the leadership of the Mayor who had to pass a resolution for us to secure the land.
“We also secured another piece of land through the Ministry of Local Government another for the construction of the same facility, a multipurpose facility in the new Government city in Mt Hampden. “We are now in the process of identifying potential individuals or companies to partner with us so that we should be able to speed up the construction of the facilities” said Minister Sanyatwe.
Zimbabwe Cricket chairperson, Tavengwa Mukuhlani said they are pleased with the support the local cricket motherboard has received from the Government.
“We are very excited to host the first ever ICC U-19 World Cup on Zimbabwean soil, which is the precursor to the main World Cup in 2027,” he said.
“As much as we are a national sports association and hosts of the World Cup, this is a Zimbabwean event which must be hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe.
“Our parent Ministry of Sport is leading the way, and it was important for our Minister to tour the facilities and see our preparedness, and we are happy with the support we have received from the Government through our parent ministry. The support from the Government has been amazing,” said Mukuhlani.
