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Sikhumbuzo Moyo recently in Bindura
AFRICA’S present and future economy is in serious risk due to the double burden of childhood malnutrition and obesity, a senior regional business executive has said.In a speech read on his behalf at the end of the two day inter-provincial physical education and track and field athletics competition at Trojan Mine Stadium in Bindura on Thursday by Nestle Zimbabwe’s country controller -finance, Harraj Saraon, Nestle’s cluster manager for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi,  Ben Ndiaye said the quality of life for the African child was also reduced.

“Like in many other countries in the African region, Zimbabwe is facing the double burden of childhood malnutrition and reduction of the quality of life of her children but to help tackle this, four years ago, Nestle Zimbabwe partnered with the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) in sponsoring the healthy kids athletics and physical education. During this period, Nestle has helped revive physical education in primary schools,” said Ndiaye.

Ndiaye said the 2015 physical education activities started with a train the trainer workshop that saw 30 physical education teachers drawn from all the country’s 10 provinces being trained.

“The objective of the workshop was to teach and standardise the selection of tables on educational gymnastics, ball games and dance routines in line with the physical education syllabus to be used for the competitions. The 30 teachers in turn trained 3,243 teachers countrywide,” revealed Ndiaye.

This year’s physical education competition, won by Chipindura Primary School of Bindura, was held under the theme ‘eat well, play well and grow well’.

The physical education competitions, for the Under-11s was described as of high quality and closely fought with the eventual winners garnering 77 percent to claim $3,000 first prize.

In the track and field athletics competitions, Masvingo emerged winners with 14 gold, the same number of silver and 12 bronze medals, followed by Mashonaland West province who collected a total of 28 medals, 13 gold, nine silver and six bronze medals.

Manicaland province settled for bronze with their 11 gold, eight silver and six bronze medals while last year’s runners up Bulawayo were a shocking seventh with just three gold, a single silver and five bronze medals.

All Bulawayo’s gold medals came from field events, two from high jump who are coached by national high jump record holder Juma Phiri with the third gold medal coming from javelin.

Matabeleland North were at par with their Bulawayo counterparts in gold and silver medals haul but came eighth  because of their three bronze medals, compared to Bulawayo’s five.

Anchoring the medals table was Matabeleland South who had two gold, two silver and five bronze medals while Harare were ninth with two gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.

Meanwhile, a 52 member Team Zimbabwe squad was selected to represent the country at the Confederation of Schools Sport Association of Southern Africa (Cossasa) Games from April 28 to May 1 in Maseru Lesotho.

The team is set to camp in Bulawayo soon although details were not readily available.