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Sports Reporter
THE Ministry of Sport, Arts and Recreation in Matabeleland South is refurbishing sporting facilities in the province under its 100-day plan, focusing mainly on rural facilities.

The ministry’s Matabeleland South provincial sports officer Frank Baloyi said sporting facilities in the province were largely dilapidated.

He said two sporting facilities situated in rural and urban areas had been identified in the first phase.

“The ministry undertook a survey to determine the number of sporting facilities in the country and identified a number of sporting facilities, which needed refurbishment. As a province, we are targeting Filabusi Country Club and Beitbridge District Club Sports Complex,” said Baloyi.

“The refurbishments will see the sports complex being a multi-sports complex offering different sporting disciplines such as netball, basketball, volleyball, swimming and tennis. This will help increase the number of people participating in sport and recreation activities, as part of the active lifestyles for an active nation theme. This is also meant to encourage communities to form Community Sport and Recreation Clubs at the refurbished sporting facilities.”

Dube said the ministry will work with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, as well as the National Aids Council, the corporate world and NGOs.

“Each partner or stakeholder has specific roles to play in order for the project to be a success. The success of the project will create a balanced delivery of sport in the urban and rural areas by providing similar standard sporting facilities. We have also identified other recreational facilities that need to be set up and are in the process of acquiring land.

“It is in light of this situation that we seek to bring sport to the masses through the provision of decent and standard sporting facilities,” he said.

The project envisages to complete two multi-purpose courts by the end of Phase 3 at a cost of $306 700.