Bulawayo athletes in camp for Youth Games

Sport
BULAWAYO Metropolitan Province athletes went into camp at Northlea High School on Monday to step up preparations before they leave for Masvingo on Saturday to defend their Zimbabwe National Youth Games title.

BULAWAYO Metropolitan Province athletes went into camp at Northlea High School on Monday to step up preparations before they leave for Masvingo on Saturday to defend their Zimbabwe National Youth Games title.

FORTUNE MBELE SPORTS REPORTER This year’s edition of the games is being hosted for the second time by Masvingo after Bulawayo, who hosted the inaugural games in 2003, held them last year and scooped gold.

Bulawayo have added two more to take the number of athletes to 204 which includes 12 basketball players (six girls and six boys) who are in South Africa for an undisclosed tournament and one tennis player who is in Harare.

The 13 will be joining the rest of the camp tomorrow before departure on Saturday.

Bulawayo Sports Management marketing and publicity manager Dave Simba yesterday confirmed that the province had added two more athletes.

“We previously thought that we were going to take 202 athletes, but we have two more and that is a good addition for us.

“We have all athletes in camp save for six girls and boys who are in South Africa for a basketball tournament and one tennis player, a girl, who is in Harare.

Hopefully they will be joining the rest of the camp tomorrow. We are leaving for Masvingo on Saturday morning.

“We have done the best to try and defend the title,” Simba said.

Bulawayo will be taking 41 officials (coaches and managers) and 17 members to make up the ancillary staff that will include team doctors.

Football legend Agent Sawu will be in charge of the boys’ football team, with Marko Dube as manager.

Simba said three buses had been secured to take the Bulawayo team to Masvingo.

He said one fuelled bus hadbeen donated by Bravo Tours, from whom they hired another with the third having been hired from Milton High School.

An official send-off ceremony will be held for the athletes on Friday with the guest being Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Eunice Sandi Moyo.

Bulawayo hauled 16 gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze medals bringing the total number of medals to 40 at last year’s games displacing Harare, who had previously dominated the games, to position four. Harare have won the games a record nine times since their inception in 2003.

This year’s hosts Masvingo won the second edition in 2004 and came second last year with 10 gold, nine silver and three bronze followed by Mashonaland East, who also grabbed 10 gold, seven silver and 10 bronze while Harare picked up eight gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals.