Team Zim goes into camp next month

Sport
TEAM Zimbabwe will go into their first two-day training camp in Harare next month before the second in Bulawayo in November in preparation for the African Union Region V Under-20 Youth Games to be held in December.

TEAM Zimbabwe will go into their first two-day training camp in Harare next month before the second in Bulawayo in November in preparation for the African Union Region V Under-20 Youth Games to be held in December. SUKOLUHLE MTHETHWA SPORTS REPORTER

Bulawayo Metropolitan Province will host the biannual competition that will feature football, netball, basketball, tennis, boxing, judo, swimming and athletics.

Deputy chef de mission administration, Tirivashe Nheweyembwa yesterday told Southern Eye Sport that the team will regroup next month.

“Team Zimbabwe is going to camp in Harare next month. Since schools will be open they will go into camp from Friday to Sunday.

“We are going to have it in Harare first for logistical reasons. Just before the games, Bulawayo will host a two-week training camp in November.

“This will give the coaches the chance to assess the athletes ahead of the games,” he said.

Nheweyembwa said the Zimbabwe National Youth Games which were held in Masvingo last month also assisted some of the sporting disciplines in preparing for the games.

“The netball team did well in Masvingo winning all the seven games they played. It was a mixed bag for the boys’ football as they lost 1-4 to Harare although they beat Mashonaland East 2-0, ” he said.

“Teams had already been selected, but this gave coaches the chance to scout for more talent for boys whom we have already accredited.

“This gave the coaches the opportunity to see players who might have been overlooked and to assess players who have been selected in a competition.”

Making up the Zimbabwe team are netball which has 12 players and three officials while athletics has 25 boys, 25 girls and four coaches. Eight girls and eight boys as well as three officials were selected for judo, swimming has 20 boys, 20 girls and four officials while football also has 20 boys, 20 girls and three officials each for both categories.

Twelve boys and 12 girls will represent the country in basketball which has six officials three for each, athletics for the visually impaired has 15 boys, 15 girls and three officials for each section while tennis has two boys, two girls and two officials.

Team Zimbabwe will compete against Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles in the games to be played under the theme “Reach for Greatness”.