Zimpapers Logo

THE curtain comes down on the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games in Bulawayo tomorrow after 11 days of sporting festivities and we can safely declare that the sporting jamboree has been a roaring success.

The Games were the second major sporting showpiece held in the City of Kings and Queens after the 1995 All Africa Games, and what a success they have been. We tip our hats off to the organisers of the Games for a job well done. We also wish to commend the Bulawayo community for its hospitality and embracing visitors from different backgrounds as 10 countries are here for the Games. Since the Games started, there has not been any incident reported to the police, meaning our visitors are welcome and safe.

The police have also done a tremendous job, keeping peace all over the city and maintaining order, and above that, ensuring that athletes travel to the sporting venues hustle free as they are accompanied by the police to and from the venue, something that has made the Games really stand out as an international event.

The Bulawayo community has also been attending the matches in numbers. There was a crowd everyday at the Large City Hall to watch boxing, there was a crowd everyday at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair to watch basketball and judo, and swimming contests at the City Pool as well as tennis matches at BAC were also well attended, with large crowds recorded at Barbourfields and Luveve Stadia for football matches, as people turned out in numbers to cheer our young boys and girls.

Of note, however, have been the mega crowds at White City Stadium where track and field athletics events are held, with many people taking their time to watch netball as well, a kind of minority sport that ordinarily does not attract spectators.

The official opening ceremony on Sunday saw Barbourfields close to capacity and thousands of fans stayed behind to watch the Under-20 girls of Zimbabwe fight it out with their South African counterparts, though the hosts ended on the losing side.

It did not matter to the home fans that the Young Mighty Warriors were getting a drubbing, fans kept cheering them on with singing and dancing on the Soweto stand, making that Sunday night under flood lights a real spectacle.

To buttress the point that the city is a melting pot of arts and culture in the country, a combined ensemble of artistes put up a mind blowing performance for the opening ceremony, something to watch over and over again, and not to be outdone was the official mascot, believed to be a member of a local arts group.

There are 10 countries for the Games, with 1,317 athletes, 1,116 officials and 1,274 volunteers involved in the day-to-day running of the programme, and that is no small number by any stretch of imagination.

With every visitor enjoying every minute of their stay in Bulawayo, the city is marketing itself as a tourist destination of note. The legacy bequeathed by the Games will endure for years to come.

The successful hosting of the Games will also pave way for many such events in future and we urge the Bulawayo City Council, which owns the majority of sports facilities which were given a facelift by government, to maintain them so that they do not lose shape.

To athletes, we say listen to the words of wisdom as preached by President Mugabe, and stay away from drugs. And once again, we give them a pat at the back for their sportsmen like conduct.