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Fatima Bulla Sports Reporter
The 12th edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games could be marred by confusion as provinces resist the move for selection of their players to make up an extra province fearing that it will weaken their teams.
The Sports Commission is spearheading an idea to have players who will make up Team Zimbabwe to the African Union Region V Games participate as the 11th province, a move which provinces said defeats the whole purpose of the national games.

At the moment four provinces — Harare, Bulawayo, Mashonaland West and Masvingo — are in the town ahead of the official opening and beginning of the games set for Monday.

General manager for Harare Provincial management committee, Nathaniel Madzivanyika, said the move defeats the purpose of identifying talent that competes as representatives for the country.

“The youth games are meant to identify talent which will represent Zimbabwe.
“Ideally the athletes — who are in various provinces — have to compete against each other as provinces where Zimbabwe has to identify its own teams from.
“So there will be no more competition among ourselves as provinces because the cream in provinces will be taken away.

“So this year’s edition might not be a success because of that,” Madzivanyika said.
He added that there was no process which engaged provincial general managers.

“Somebody, somewhere could be giving a directive to the provinces to say this should happen,” Madzivanyika added.
The Sports Commission director for development, Joseph Muchechetere, said the ZNYG, as well as the Team Zimbabwe preparing for the African Union Sports Council Region V Games, are Government games.

“The challenge is on us to come up with the best arrangement to ensure the Zimbabwe National Youth Games are also able to take place successfully.
“We also need to tap the talent from the youth games for composition of Team Zimbabwe to the Region V Games.

“As we were discussing with all stakeholders we thought that it was strategic for Team Zimbabwe to be part of the Games for quite a number of reasons.
“The funds are coming from Zimbabweans and Government and for us to be able to get funds elsewhere to prepare our Team Zimbabwe we thought we could use the same platform to prepare at the same time implementing the 12th edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games.

“The challenge may come from where provinces who think talent A and B is the best talent in their provinces which will be picked by Team Zimbabwe and weaken their provinces.

“Yes, it is a fact but Team Zimbabwe need to identify the best talent we have in the land.
“It needs some mature people to accept both projects are ours. It is us who should be in a position to come up with a very strong Team Zimbabwe for the Region V Games in December,” Muchechetere said.

Muchechetere added that the move has been inspired by the financial challenges Government is facing.
“We have been struggling as an economy to raise enough resources to put good infrastructure in Bulawayo so where are we going to get the money to prepare the team if we do not take advantage of this?

“It is not coming from myself but from lots of stakeholders, including Government, to use this platform build the team,” said Muchechetere.