ZTISU Games start

Shingi Mugabe Sports Reporter
Students from Zimbabwe’s tertiary colleges will be using the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institution Sports Union Games, which got underway in Harare yesterday to fight for places in the national team.

The games roared into life at Belvedere Teachers’ College, Harare Polytechnic, Old Hararians and the National Sports Stadium after the opening ceremony.

The Zimbabwe University Sports Association, the Technical Education Sports Association and the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Colleges Sports Association are each sending their champions and runners-up for each discipline.

To warm up for the games, ZTISU hosted a cocktail at Harare Poly, which is the Games’ Command Centre on Tuesday.

ZTISU president Martin Zibwi said the main thrust of the games will be to select a Zimbabwe team for the Zimbabwe-Zambia-Malawi Games (ZIZAMA)

ZIZAMA Games are a cluster of sporting events held once every two years for colleges and universities from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

“We are also using the ZTISU Games to come up with a team that will represent the country at Zizama Games, which we are hosting in Harare from August 2-7, where we will compete with athletes from Zambia and Malawi,” Zibwi said.

The volleyball players will also be using the games to impress selectors ahead of International University Sports Federation Games in Gwangju, South Korea.

“We will also be sending the volleyball teams to represent Zimbabwe in Kwangju, Korea for the International University Sports Federation,” he said.

Tsitsi Kufa, the marketing officer said they are confident of a successful event.

“The National Sports Stadium will host athletics while rugby and cricket will be played at Old Hararians Sports Club with the event command centre Harare Polytechnic hosting indoor games,” Kufa said.

Hosting principal Tafadzwa Mudondo of Harare Poly said some of the venues had been spruced up following recommendations by ZTISU.

“We are very prepared for the games here at Harare Poly, having spread some of the games across five different venues.

“We also had to make a few modifications here and there to be up to standard with ZTISU’s requirements,” Mudondo said.