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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
THE African Union Sports Council Region Five representatives are expected to tour the facilities to be used for the sixth edition of the Under-20 Youth Games today, as preparations for the regional competition continue.
The Games will be held in Bulawayo from December 5-14, with participants competing in athletics, basketball, boxing, judo, football, netball, swimming and tennis.
The two representatives, AUSC Region Five secretary-general Mvuzo Mbebe and the Games general manager Stanley Mutoya, were on Thursday in Harare for the lighting of the Games torch by President Mugabe at the State House.

They will be in Bulawayo for the facilities tour today.
Mutoya said they were pleased with the progress that has been made in terms of preparations and Thursday’s lighting of the Games torch.

“As African Union Sports Council Region Five we are very happy that we have seen the launch and the lighting of the torch by His Excellency, which signifies that the Games are now here.

“It means the torch was in Lusaka, it has arrived here in Harare at the State House and for us that is also resonating with the region’s programme of making sure the Games really start running.

“We are going to Bulawayo to then see on the ground how far we have gone as far as infrastructure is concerned and other amenities, of course, including the readiness of the teams and so on.

“During our last visit here with the chef de missions, we were excited to note the programmes, the competition schedules and the entries, which are also quite encouraging,” said Mutoya.

Mutoya said 11 countries — Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland and Zambia — are expected to participate in the regional competition.

After today’s tour, the AUSC Region Five team is expected to make another visit next month for the chef de mission and confederation’s meeting slated for October 22-24.

Meanwhile, Team Zimbabwe’s chef de mission Sebastian Garikai said they have entered a full complement of 308 athletes for the first time since Zimbabwe began participating in these Games.

“We have picked the team, we have entered a full complement of 308 athletes and obviously their coaches.
“It is the first time that we are entering a full complement as a country and as such, we are expecting to get better results than the ones we have been getting in the past editions.”