The event, organised by the African Sports Council, is due to take place from December 4 to 15, with 1,200 under 20 athletes expected to attend from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, the Seychelles, Swaziland and Zambia, as well as Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the launch of the Games' mascot Jumbo in Bulawayo, a city of more than 650,000 people 220 miles to the south-west of the capital Harare, ZOC chief executive Anna Mguni believes schools and other educational institutions have a key role to play.

"Schools and higher learning institutions should assist the national team coaches in the preparation of athletes for the upcoming Games," she said.

"Most of the athletes will be at school up to November or December, meaning there won't be much free time for the coaches to try and prepare the athletes.

"The Games are just a few months away, athletes should work very hard to prepare themselves and schools should help out in the preparation of their students who are part of the national teams as time and resources might not permit to get the teams in camp for training frequently."

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city and known for the Queen's Sports Club in which international cricket matches are held, will host the Games ©Wikipedia



As in so many other countries, sport, and hosting sporting events, is being used as a way to signify economic and social improvements supposedly being made in the southern African nation, ruled over with an iron fist by Robert Mugabe since 1980. 

Most of Zimbabwe's Olympic success in recent years has come by virtue of swimmer Kirsty Coventry who, after winning seven Olympic medals, including a gold at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Games, is now a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

But investment has been made across other sports to generate greater success and, earlier this year, Alpine skier Luke Steyn became Zimbabwe's first ever Winter Olympian at Sochi 2014 and came a creditable 57th in the giant slalom.

Mguni insisted that Zimbabwe can produce good athletes if necessary support is provided.

She then before praising the organisers and the local support for the mascot at December's Regional Games, an event seen as a key step on the road to more general improvement.

"The Bulawayo community has welcomed Jumbo [the elephant mascot] well," she said.

"I think it's a good sign that shows that they are more than ready to host the Games successfully," said Mguni.

Among sports to be showcased at the Games is basketball, judo, football, netball, swimming, athletics, boxing and tennis, as well as several Paralympic disciplines. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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