THE Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) is expected to meet National Sporting Associations in Harare next week to discuss preparations for the All-Africa Games to be held in Congo Brazzaville in September. SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER
Congo Brazzaville hosted the inaugural All-Africa Games in 1965.
With most sporting disciplines participating in the qualifiers, finance is likely to be one of the most topical issues in the meeting.
SRC corporate communications officer Tirivashe Nheweyembwa yesterday told Southern Eye Sport that they had begun preparing for the sporting showcase.
“We have started preparing for the All-Africa Games that will be hosted by Congo Brazzaville in September,” he said.
“We have invited national sporting associations for a meeting in Harare on February 17 as we want to discuss preparations for the competition. However, some sporting disciplines like boxing might not have qualifiers.”
Nheweyembwa said they would discuss the issue of funds.
“In the past editions, sporting associations used to cater for themselves in funding,” he said.
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“The government would take over if they qualified. So we need to clarify and reiterate that position.
“Sporting associations have to try and get funds to participate in the qualifiers. We (SRC) are down in terms of resources.”
On Monday, Zimbabwe Handball Federation secretary-general Alphios Magiya said they had to work hard in a short space of time to mobilise resources for the All-Africa Games Region 5 qualifiers set for Zambia next month.
The federation needs to raise $26 450 to send 32 players and eight officials to the qualifiers.
The Zimbabwe Volleyball Association will be searching for funds soon, as they will participate in the qualifiers to be held at a yet to be named venue in April.
Nheweyembwa spoke about the importance of the country’s athletes taking part in the African sporting competition.
“The All-Africa Games are important because as a country we gauge ourselves and see if we are progressing or regressing,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that in the last edition that was held in Mozambique we were number 11 out of 43 countries. This was bad because in 2007 we finished the competition on position eight out of 42 countries. We need to focus more on individual sport because that is where we are lacking.”
