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Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
TEAM Zimbabwe has been urged to be ruthless on the field of competition and go for gold at the forthcoming African Union region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that roar into life in Bulawayo next week Friday.

The rallying cry was made by the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Misheck Sibanda, during a tour of the Games’ facilities on Wednesday.

“Go for number one. I have no doubt they will do it and make us proud,” said Sibanda who was accompanied on the tour by five permanent secretaries George Charamba (Media, Information and Broadcasting Services), George Mlilo ( Local Government, Public Works and National Housing), Thokozile Chitepo (Sport, Arts and Culture) Patson Mbiriri (Energy and Power Development) and Munesu Munodawafa (Transport and Infrastructural Development). Also present were members of the local organising committee led by deputy chairperson Nyarai Sibanda and chief executive officer Elkanar Dube.

Sibanda expressed the same confidence on Team Zimbabwe when he made a similar tour of the Games’ facilities last month.

Team Zimbabwe has a total of 290 athletes and officials and they have been in camp at the Bulawayo Polytechnic College for almost two weeks now. They are set to depart for the Games Village sometime next week with the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Andrew Langa expected to give them an official send off.

Zimbabwe Chef de Mission, Sebastian Garikai, told Chronicle Sport that everyone in camp was raring to go and they were looking at garnering between 30 and 40 gold medals. “We want to surpass what we have previously achieved in the history of these Games, which is 17 gold medals in Swaziland. The athletes and officials are confident of doing that and we will once again call upon the country to believe and rally behind us,” said Garikai.

The Team Zimbabwe boss also announced that some of their swimming athletes have since left the training camp for the World Championships in Canada.

Region 5 Football and Netball Fixtures:

Boys’ football

Dec 5: Malawi v Zimbabwe (Luveve, 9AM)

Dec 6: South Africa v Zambia (Luveve,11AM), Zimbabwe v Mozambique (Barbourfields, 3PM), Lesotho v Seychelles (Luveve, 4.30PM), Swaziland v Malawi (Barbourfields, 7PM)

Dec 7: Namibia v South Africa (Luveve, 2.30PM), Angola v Zimbabwe (Barbourfields, 3PM), Zambia v Lesotho, 4.30PM), Mozambique v Swaziland (Barbourfields, 7PM)

Dec 8: Seychelles v Zambia (Luveve, 11AM), Malawi v Mozambique (Barbourfields, 3PM), Lesotho v Namibia (Luveve, 4.30PM), Swaziland v Angola (Barbourfields, 7PM)

Dec 10: South Africa v Lesotho (Luveve, 11AM), Namibia v Seychelles (Luveve, 4.30PM), Zimbabwe v Swaziland (Barbourfields, 3PM), Mozambique v Angola (Barbourfields, 5PM)

Dec 11: Zambia v Lesotho (Luveve, 2.30PM), South Africa v Namibia (Luveve, 4.30PM), Angola v Malawi (Barbourfields, 5PM)

Dec 12: First semifinal (Luveve, 2.30PM), Second semi-final (Barbourfields, 5PM)

Dec 13: Third place play-off (Luveve, 4.30PM)

Dec 14: Final (Barbourfields, 5.30PM)

Girls Football:

Dec 5: South Africa v Botswana (Luveve, 11AM), Zimbabwe v Zambia (Barbourfields, 5PM, official opening ceremony day)

Dec 6: Zambia v South Africa (Luveve, 2.30PM), Namibia v Zimbabwe (Barbourfields, 5PM)

Dec 7: Botswana v Zambia (Barbourfields, 5PM),

Dec 8: Botswana v Zimbabwe (Luveve, 2.30PM), Zambia v Namibia (Barbourfields, 5PM)

Dec 10: South Africa v Namibia (Luveve 2.30PM),

Dec 11: Zimbabwe v South Africa (Luveve, 11AM), Namibia v Botswana (Barbourfields, 3PM)

Dec 12: First semifinal (Luveve, 2.30PM), Second semifinal ( Barbourfields, 3PM)

Dec 13: Third place play-off (Luveve, 2.30PM)

Dec 14: Final (Barbourfields, 3PM)

Netball:

Dec 6: Botswana v South Africa (White City, 9AM), Namibia v Swaziland (White City 2PM)

Zimbabwe on bye

Dec 7: Botswana v Zimbabwe (White City, 9AM), South Africa v Swaziland (White City, 11AM)

Namibia on bye

Dec 8: Botswana v Namibia (White City, 9AM), Swaziland v Zimbabwe (White City, 11AM), South Africa v Namibia (White City, 1PM),

Dec 9: South Africa v Zimbabwe (White City, 9AM), Botswana v Swaziland (White City, 11AM), Zimbabwe v Namibia (White City 1PM)

Dec 10: Bronze medal match, Position three v Position four (White City, 9AM), Gold medal match, Position one v Position two ( White City, 11AM)

Team Zimbabwe technical team:

Swimming:

Girls’ manager (Tracey Doorman), Boys’ (Gareth Desmond), Girls’ coaches (Deborah Wetzlar, Cheitimu Phiri,), Boys’ coaches (Masiadi Takaedza, Anneke Chan Jack)

Basketball:

Girls’ Manager (Margret Jabungwe), Boys’ Manager (Erick Banda), Girls’ coaches (Sam Mutsvangwa, Mxolisi Ndlovu), Men coaches (Tawanda Chitsinde, Tapiwa Mungunyana)

Netball:

Manager( Virginia Mutanda), Coaches (Ropafadzo Mutsauki, Simbarashe Mhlambo)

Football:

Girls’ manager (Precious Tarakino), Boys’ Manager (Patrick Muteswa), Girls’ Coaches (Langton Giwa, Sithethelelwe Sibanda, Daniel Kabanga), Boys’ Coaches (Tafadzwa Mashiri, George Madira, Laban Kandi )

Athletics:

Girls’ Manager (Precious Tarakino), Boys’ Manager (Benson Samu ), Girls’ Coaches (Lisimathi Phakamile, Braid Bhunu, Silas Muringani ), Boys’ Coaches (Njere Shumba, Adelaid Dube)

Athletics, visually impaired:

Girls Manager (Chipo Chikwature), Boys’ manager (Kudzai Shava), Girls Coaches (Mildred Baye, Constance Munemo, Mapula Ndlovu), Boys’ Coaches (Washington Nyamukapa, Maxwell Madzure, Obert Mapako )

Judo:

Manager (Smart Siyazimba), Coaches (Simba Mashayi, Mapula Ndlovu, Sydney Chibwaya)

Boxing:

Manager (Petros Masiyambumbi), Coaches (Mpilisi Moyo, Steven Masiyambumbi )

Medical team:

Ben Karongo, Dorothy Masawi (Doctors),Samson Chavhe, Ethel Ndondo (Nurses), Farai Muguwe, Sharon Mukumbuzi, Christyna Tambanemoto,Tapfuma Mudawarima, Olivia Gwaze, Christine Mutangadura, Dalubuhle Nyoni (Physiotherapists),Pauline Tshuma, Loveness Tembo (Rehab Technicians), Joe Bizure (Nutritionist)