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Sikhumbuzo Moyo in Hwange
ATHLETES taking part at the Zimbabwe National Youth Games that start this morning in Matabeleland North and Bulawayo have been urged to use the games as a pedestal to launch professional careers.

The games now have 17 provinces, up from the 10 geographical provinces, and 22 sport codes from the generic eight.

In an interview after a series of marathon meetings at Thomas Coulter Primary School in Hwange yesterday, Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) games projects manager Martin Dururu urged athletes and managers to exercise the spirit of sportsmanship and ubuntu in their efforts to win.

“As games get underway in various centres across the province and in Bulawayo, our athletes must take advantage of this platform to showcase their talent; the kind of stuff that they are made of and regard these games as a pedestal to launch their careers towards bigger things.

“As you recall that from these games we have had luminaries like Ariel Sibanda of Highlanders, Onesimo Bhasera, Alex Maseko in basketball, Gabriel Mvumvure and Charles Manyuchi in boxing.

“We really want to urge our athletes that a stage has been availed for them to showcase their talent and launch successful sporting careers,” said Dururu.

He said if taken seriously and with professionalism, the games were the right platform for athletes  and even appointed officers to earn a living out of sports.

He said the coaches must use their training to impart positive knowledge to athletes and shun age cheating and use of drugs.

“To the coaches and managers, we really would want to appeal to them to exercise sportsmanship as much as they are out here to win, which we all appreciate and understand.

“We are encouraging them to do so in the spirit of ubuntu and friendship because more than anything else, these games are not for adults, but young people to grow, so there is no need for adult facilitators to use unfair means such as cheating through changing of birth certificates and the like.

“All our young people are very talented and all they need is good mentorship, good coaching and from that they will be able to showcase their skills and realise the greatest heights in terms of their sporting talent,” said Dururu.

He was also grateful that the vision of Sport and Recreation Minister Makhosini Hlongwane was finally being realised and coming to life.

“The vision of our honourable Minister Makhosini Hlongwane to expand the Youth Games is being realised as well as bringing in more participants to the games,” said Dururu.

According to the final games’ venues timetable released yesterday evening by SRC spokesperson Tirivashe Nheweyembwa, Hwange town will play host to 13 sport codes, including athletics, while Victoria Falls will have four with the others in Bulawayo.