The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube Sports Correspondent
THE Africa Union Sports Council Region Five Under-20 Youth Games torch finally makes its way to the host city, Bulawayo this week after touring the country for close to a month.The symbolic light is expected to traverse the metropolitan province’s five districts starting with Reigate District on Friday and end on 3 December with the Provincial Torch Relay event in the Central District before heading for official opening ceremony scheduled for 4 December at Barbourfields Stadium.
The torch was first lit by President Mugabe at State House on 18 September before it went on a tour of the country’s nine provinces, where lighting ceremonies were held.
Region Five Games media and publicity manager Dave Simba confirmed the torch has been take around the country, reaching all provinces and has arrived in the city as the Games kick off date inches closer.
The torch ceremonies to be held across the city’s district are expected to be the zenith of the marketing drive that has been run by the Local Organising Committee’s marketing and publicity department for the past three months.
The Games will run from 5 to 14 December with athletes from 11 countries competing in eight sporting disciplines.
Simba said they expected the torch to raise increased awareness of the Games among Bulawayo’s residents.
“The torch will go out to all the five districts and there will be entertainment that will be provided by our mascot Jumbo and dance group, Iyasa. Our road show truck will provide the background entertainment during the ceremonies.
“The torch ceremonies will enable us to reach out to all students within the city, who we are looking at as the spectators that will fill up the stadiums during the Games events. This coming Wednesday we have been invited to Petra High School and we will take our road show to the school on the day,” he said. From State House the torch moved to Mashonaland Central then made its way to Mashonaland West, Harare, Mashonaland East before a stopover in the Manicaland capital of Mutare.
On 27 October the torch was in Masvingo before heading to Midlands, Matabeleland South and on 14 November it was in Matabeleland North.
Simba said the provincial tours were a success as they managed to market the Games with thousands of people getting a glimpse of the torch.
He said provincial ministers played a crucial role in organising the events and felt many people across the country were now aware of the sporting showcase.
Simba said the road shows that have been held since the unveiling of Jumbo in mid-September have been a success drawing over a thousand people during each event.
In Bulawayo, the torch will kick off its journey in the Reigate District on Friday before moving to Imbizo the following day and then head for Khami on Sunday and then Mzilikazi on Monday.
The torch’s final destination before heading to Barbourfields will be the Central District on 2 December with the Provincial Torch Relay Ceremony slated for next Wednesday, a day before the official opening ceremony.
The Games, formerly known as the Zone Six Games, were inaugurated in 2004 in Mozambique following a Council of Ministers of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa (SCSA) Zone VI meeting held in 1997 in Cabinda, Angola. On 7 September 1999 during a special meeting of the Zone Six Supreme Council for Sport in Africa in Johannesburg, it was agreed that the Games be held bi-annually on a compulsory and rotational basis by the member states.
The Games have since been organised and hosted by Mozambique 2004, Namibia 2006, South Africa 2008, Swaziland 2010 and Zambia played host to the fifth edition in 2012.
The aim of the event is to use sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa and sport as a vehicle for encouraging people to develop and come together despite colour, economic status, political inclination, class or gender.
