GROUP stages of the 2013 National Youth Games handball games kicked off yesterday with Luveve High School hosting Pool A matches in both the women and men’s categories while Pool B matches were played at Northlea High. Vitalis Moyo Sports Reporter
Luveve High has four newly-constructed handball courts which are being used to host the matches. Action in Pool A in the mens’ category kick started with the Midlands getting off their campaign to a good start beating Mashonaland East 15-10.
Hosts Bulawayo also got off to a flying start in the same group dismissing Masvingo 20-6. In the women’s section, the Midlands were on the receiving end as they suffered a 12-6 defeat at the hands of Masvingo.
Pool B kicked off with a draw in the men’s category as Manicaland and Mashonaland West shared the spoils in a 8-8 score-line while Mashonaland Central made light work of Matabeleland North beating them 23-7.
The women’s category was characterised by close duels as Matabeleland South edged Matabeleland North 9-5 while Mashonaland Central beat Manicaland 9-7.
Meanwhile, Northlea High School hosted the first round of basketball matches in both the men and the women’s sections. The school’s two basketball courts were a hive of activity with Court One hosting Pool A matches while Court Two hosted Pool B matches.
Bulawayo Province women ran riot in the scoring front dismissing a weak Mashonaland Central 107-7 in a one sided affair to kick start the action in Pool A. Mashonaland West beat Mashonaland East 38-32 in a tightly contested encounter in that section as the games continued.
In the men’s category, the Midlands recorded a victory in their opening match as hosts Bulawayo lost by a single point in a nail-biting clash which finished with a score-line of 51-52 in favour of the Midlands while Manicaland beat Mashonaland East 52-47 in the other group A clash. In pool B, Harare Province women got their campaign off to a good start when they dismissed Matabeleland South 71-16 while Masvingo thumped Matabeleland North 42-21 in the group’s second game.
