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Sports Reporter
IN a policy shift aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the National Youth Games, this year’s edition will include community clubs and tertiary institutions.

The Games will also see an increased number of sporting disciplines from eight to 22 – athletics, basketball, boxing, cricket, cycling, darts, football, golf, gymnastics, handball, hockey, karate, netball, pool, rowing, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball and weightlifting.

Director for sport promotion and development in the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, Eugenia Chidhakwa, the said community clubs, tertiary institutions and the uniformed forces will battle it out in the Under-23 age-group.

“What we are doing is from 2017 we are starting the ‘Revive National Youth Games Zimbabwe’ and the aim of the Revive the National Youth Games Zimbabwe is to facilitate the selection, development and retention of talented athletes. “There are going to be categories, school going age-group, the Under-20, which will come from all the 10 provinces. The Under-20 it’s basically focusing on schools.

“Then we have communities where we have sport and recreation clubs. These will be Under-23 from 10 provinces, then we have tertiary institutions, being ZTISU as a province, ZRP, Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services and Vocational Training Centres to make them 15 provinces,” said Chidhakwa.

Matabeleland North are the hosting province this year. Chidhakwa said the new system will also improve the competitiveness of technical officials and sports administrators as well as infrastructure development. “This is to (also) enhance the competitiveness of coaches, the technical officials and sports administrators. To promote infrastructure development in provinces, celebrate youth talent in Zimbabwe, empower youths with life skills and foster hunhu/ubuntu and patriotism in Zimbabwe.

“There are 22 sport codes, some will be in Victoria Falls, some in Lupane and some in Hwange,” Chidhakwa said. For community clubs the competition starts at ward level from June 18 to 25, followed by constituency competitions pencilled for June 29 to July 2.

District competition is on from July 13 to 16 while the provincials run from July 27 to 30 culminating into the national competition from August 17 to 27. “We want to use sport as a vehicle for social change,” Chidhakwa said.

The Games have provided a springboard for athletes such as Ngonidzashe Makusha, Gabriel Mvumvure, who went on to represent the country at the highest level in athletics.

Boxer Charles Manyuchi also first made his mark at the Games.