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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE Team Zimbabwe African Union Sports Council Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games squad has been challenged to justify its worth in the sixth edition of these biannual Games.

The call was made by the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa during a send off ceremony for the team at Bulawayo Polytechnic College last night.

“I’m happy to note that as government, we’ve done everything humanly possible to ensure that basic needs of the team are attended to. You’ve to remember that your needs were made possible through the use of public funds and you need to justify your worthiness. You are Zimbabwean ambassadors to the Games, show Region 5 what you are made of, paint Zimbabwe gold,” said Minister Langa.

He said the Zimbabwean team members should be resilient.

“This isn’t going to be easy but as young men and women of character I’m sure you will be able to have tenacity and grit to withstand all the pressure that comes with the competition, it’s only those that are resilient who will make it to the podium and therefore I’m convinced that for you to be selected to represent us in these Games it implies that you were tested and passed the litmus test,” said Minister.

He encouraged the team to go as warriors, fight like warriors and raise the Zimbabwean flag high.

Team Zimbabwe Chef de Mission, Sebastian Garikai told the gathering that he was convinced they were now at peak level and ready to fight.

“We’re now well prepared soldiers and ready to take on our opponents,” said Garikai.

Team Zimbabwe has a total of 290 athletes and officials and have set a minimum target of 40 gold medals.

Accompanying Minister Langa was the principal director in the office of the Vice President, Benson Dube, Sport and Recreation Commission board members Obadiah Moyo and Kays Kanyangarara as well as deputy principal director for sports Tendai Tagara.

Meanwhile, a 20-member Angolan delegation to the Games arrived in the country yesterday afternoon.

The delegation was quickly bussed to the Games Village after going through the immigration formalities.

The Angolan Chef de Mission, Antonio Da Luz said the rest of the members of Team Angola are expected to arrive today.

“We’ve a total of 85 athletes and officials but today only 20 have arrived. The rest will fly in straight from Luanda tomorrow,” said Luz.

Following the withdrawal of Seychelles, 10 countries are set to shrug it out in eight disciplines beginning from Thursday soon after the official opening of the Games by President Mugabe.

Namibia were expected in yesterday while Lesotho, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique are set to arrive today.

Regional powerhouse South Africa will also arrive today in three batches. The first is set to jet in at the airport at 8.30AM, the second at 12.30PM with the third and last jetting in at 5PM.

Swaziland and Botswana are expected to arrive tomorrow by road.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s participation in the boys’ football was uncertain yesterday after revelations that their manager, Daniel Jere had misrepresented facts to the government of Zambia by submitting an Under-20 team instead of Under-17s for the boys.

Jere has since been booted out of his post as a result. Accreditation for the Games for athletes has since been completed.

According to Zambia Times, Jere was at the centre of the mix up because he knew very well that it was the Under-17s that were supposed to compete at the tournament but he decided to mislead the government by pushing in a wrong team that also had about 80 per cent of original players missing.

Football Association of Zambia executive member Lee Kawanu, who is in charge of youth football, could not confirm Jere’s removal but said he (Jere) was one of the people who misled the government.