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Burzil Dube

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
ACCREDITATION for the Zimbabwe National Youth Games has opened and will close a day before the sporting jamboree roars into life on August 17.

More than 16 000 athletes and officials are expected to take part in Zimbabwe’s version of the Olympics being hosted by Matabeleland North province where competition will be in over 22 sport codes.

The Metropolitan province of Bulawayo will play host to hockey and cricket, while the rest of the disciplines will be held in the host province.

“Accreditation is on now and will be open until August 16,” said the hosting province’s local organising committee chief executive officer Burzil Dube.

Meanwhile, a high powered delegation from both the Ministry of Sport and Recreation as well as the Sports and Recreation Commission has been dispatched to Bulawayo and is today expected to proceed to Matabeleland North.

Projects manager for the Games, Martin Dururu said they had fruitful meetings with the two Ministers of State for Bulawayo and Matabeleland North, Nomthandazo Eunice Moyo and Cain Mathema, and they also set up a sub local organising committee, which will be subservient to the Matabeleland North Loc.

“We are basically laying a foundation ahead of the teams’ visit. We have already set up a sub-committee to run things in Bulawayo and we will then move over to Fatima High School and Marist Brothers High School before proceeding to Hwange and Victoria Falls to set up similar committees,” said Dururu.

Fatima High in Lupane district will play host to the Under-18 volleyball, with table tennis in the same age group set to be held at Marist Brothers High in Dete.

Dururu said heads of various institutions had been engaged to have a buy in into the Games.

“We will define terms of reference for these sub committees and their working relationship with the main local organising committee. Basically we want to consolidate and capacity build them so that we are all ready to welcome teams as they start to arrive next week,” said Dururu.

He said the official opening of the Games will be held at the Colliery Stadium in Hwange on a date to be advised.

“We will stand guided by the Minister of Sport and Recreation in terms of the date as well as the guest of honour. The Honourable Minister Makhosini Hlongwane is working with his counterpart, the Resident Minister for Matabeleland North (Mathema) on the identity of the guest of honour and other key logistics,” said Dururu.

@skhumoyo2000