Call to invest in schools sport From left AUSC Region 5 secretary-general Mvuzo Mbebe, AUSC Region 5 chairperson Vetumbuavi Veii, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture Thokozile Chitepo
From left AUSC Region 5 secretary-general Mvuzo Mbebe, AUSC Region 5 chairperson Vetumbuavi Veii, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture Thokozile Chitepo

From left AUSC Region 5 secretary-general Mvuzo Mbebe, AUSC Region 5 chairperson Vetumbuavi Veii, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture Thokozile Chitepo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
GOVERNMENTS have been implored to invest and maintain an active interest in schools’ sports as that is where future athletes are.

The call was made on the opening day of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 regional sports confederations’ forum at a Bulawayo hotel. The conference is being held under the theme “Driving towards sustainable excellence”.

AUSC Region 5 chairperson Vetumbuavi Veii said failure to place emphasis in schools’ sports could be equated to building a house without a strong foundation.

“Let’s put an emphasis on schools’ sports. We’re doing well administratively but when it comes to competitions, we’re not getting medals despite the abundance of talent in our region. If we don’t put emphasis on schools’ sports, it’s just like building a house without a strong foundation,” said Veii.

Veii, a Namibian national, challenged delegates to implement resolutions of the forum when they return to their respective countries.

“Let’s go back and implement the Podium Performance Programme (Region 5’s high performance programme). It doesn’t help to come out from here with good progammes but when we go back home, the documents gather dust,” said Veii.

His sentiments were echoed by Cosafa representative Sue Destombe, who pleaded with governments to prioritise physical education in schools.

“Our governments really need to look at the education system and prioritise physical education. Physical education teachers must be recognised as professionals in their own right,” said Destombe.

Her call came at a time physical education teachers in Bulawayo have been phased out.

In his keynote address, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa, who is also the Region 5 Council of Ministers’ chairperson, said sports cannot develop without the involvement of schools.

“I therefore want to encourage and highlight to other countries that we really can’t go anywhere without the involvement of schools in sports,” said Minister Langa.

He challenged delegates to find ways of directing resources and positive energy towards the upliftment of athletes, coaches and technical staff.

There was also need, Minister Langa said, for the officials to convince the Council of Ministers how they would guarantee consistent medals for the region.

The confederations’ forum is held once every four years and delegates are drawn from confederations’ presidents, secretaries and technical directors of all regional sports confederations affiliated to AUSC Region 5.

The forum is used to evaluate the effectiveness of confederations’ programmes and activities as well as to subsequently draw and align the regional confederations’ programmes to the AUSC Region 5 Strategic Plan.

It also serves as a review mechanism of the status of implementation of the confederations’ resolutions made in April 2014 in Livingstone, Zambia.

Delegates will deliberate on the role of regional confederations in the implementation of the AUSC Region 5 Podium Performance Programme that is aimed at producing athletes that can win medals at major international competitions, including the Olympic Games.

The forum is also being attended by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture Thokozile Chitepo, principal director in the same ministry Benson Dube, African Union head of sports Shepande Machache, Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) secretary-general Tommy Sithole, AUSC Region 5 secretary-general Mvuzo Mbebe and 2014 Region 5 Under-20 Games local organising committee chairperson Khonzani Ncube.

The meeting ends tomorrow.

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