The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
BULAWAYO is set to play host to five sporting disciplines during the 2017 National Youth Games due to lack of infrastructure in the host province of Matabeleland North.
The National Youth Games start on Thursday and run up to 27 August. Cricket, hockey, swimming, handball and tennis will be held in Bulawayo with athletes set to be camped in the country’s second largest city.
Youth Games chief executive officer, Burzil Dube, confirmed lack of facilities had forced them to move the disciplines to Bulawayo. He said they will not be moving the participants to the host province for the opening as well as closing ceremonies as that would be a huge burden on the organisers.
Rowing has been scheduled for Ncema Dam in Matabeleland South with Dube indicating that teams for the sport are yet to be availed. There are a few participants in rowing and it is unlikely to attract entrants from all provinces.
Swimming had been scheduled for Victoria Falls Swimming Pool which had been undergoing renovations but Dube said work will not be completed by the time games start on Thursday.
Swimming will be held at the Bulawayo City Pool while cricket is likely to be held at the Old Mutual Heath Streak Academy or Queens Sports Club, tennis will be played at Bulawayo Athletic Club and Kumalo Hockey Stadium is the most suitable venue for hockey with handball also likely being held at the same facility.
Hwange is set to host volleyball, netball, boxing, athletics, weightlifting and karate while Victoria Falls will play host to chess, darts, pool and golf. Cycling will be held in Lupane and basketball at Fatima and Mabhikwa High schools.
Fatima High in Lupane district will play host to the Under-18 volleyball, with table tennis within the same age group set to be held at Marist Brothers High in Dete.
The Ministry of Sports and Recreation directed the reconstitution of the Youth Games following the crafting of the National Sports Policy with a raft of changes that saw sport codes increasing from eight to 22, inclusion of Under-23 age group, college teams and army teams.
The clustering of sporting communities into schools, colleges, the uniformed services and community sports will also be applied to the Games which will now see each province sending four different teams to compete in their respective categories.
Instead of sending one uniform team, the provinces will now send four teams to compete in the different clusters, when previously there would have had one team from Bulawayo going to represent the province in football, they will now have a schools team, a colleges side, uniformed services squad and community sports grouping.
Additional sports that are now part of the Youth Games include rugby, weightlifting, cycling, karate, golf, pool, darts, chess, table tennis and gymnastics.
Hwange is set to be the command centre and will host the opening and closing ceremonies at Colliery Stadium.
