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Ricky Zililo Sports Reporter
THE stage is set for tonight’s December African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games draw to be held in Bulawayo. The draw for all the eight disciplines – athletics, basketball, boxing, football, judo, netball, swimming and tennis – will be broadcast live on ZBCtv from the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel.

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa will be the guest of honour.

All chefs de mission for the 11 countries – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia and the host nation Zimbabwe are in Bulawayo to witness the draw.

“The confederations for all sporting codes are in the country and today the chef de missions arrived ahead of the draw. After the draw everyone will know their opponents, meaning that they wind up their preparations as the draw also indicate Zimbabwe’s readiness to host the Games,” said Kennedy Ndebele, marketing director for the Games’ local organising committee.

“As much as the draw ignites excitement on athletes, we believe it also generates interest on the locals as they begin the countdown to the events. The Games started when President Mugabe lit the torch last month at the State House.”

Tonight’s ceremony will also mark the unveiling of the countries’ uniforms for the Games.

The sixth edition of the regional sports festival which will run from December 5 to 14 will be running under the theme “Reaching for Greatness”.

Ndebele said the greatness that the Games will leave for Bulawayo are facilities capable of playing host to international events in the future as part of the legacy.

Renovations are being done at White City Stadium which will be home to athletics and netball, Bulawayo Athletics Club (tennis), City Pool (swimming), Luveve and Barbourfields stadia (football) as well as the Games’ Village at Hillside Teachers’ College.

Boxing will be held at the Large City Hall with judo and basketball set for the ZITF where work on changing rooms is underway.

The regional organising committee for the Games led by its secretary-general Mvezo Mbebe gave Bulawayo the thumbs up to play host to the December African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games after a tour of facilities on Tuesday.

Completion of work done at the facilities to be used for the sports festival is expected by November 15.