Team Byo leaves for National Youth Games in Chinhoyi

A contingent of 143 athletes that will represent Bulawayo Province in the 14th edition of the Zimbabwe National Youth Games left for Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West yesterday.

The games will run from today up to 21 August and Bulawayo Province will be represented in all eight sporting codes.

Bulawayo Province finished seventh in last year’s edition in Mutare and hopes to do better this time around.

In athletics Team Bulawayo sent 30 athletes, 18 basketball players, 11 boxers and four tennis players. Twenty will compete in handball, 12 in netball, 30 footballers in men and ladies categories as well as 18 volleyball players.

Speaking at a send-off ceremony at Eveline High School yesterday, Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Minister Eunice Nomthandazo Moyo implored the team to carry the ambassadorial role bestowed on them on behalf of the province.

“The good image you are going to display throughout your stay in Chinhoyi is very crucial for the image building for our province therefore you must march past the other provinces and bring home success stories and medals that will position Bulawayo on pole position,” said Moyo.

The Minister said the games are a strategy by the government to stimulate mass participation in sport as well as identify talent for national teams.

“Your talent will cascade and find its way into national teams for the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Games to be held in Angola in December as well as other regional and international games,” she said.

Bulawayo businessman Raj Modi supplied the team with food and refreshments for the duration of the games while Zero Supplies donated T-shirts to all the athletes.

Milton and Mpopoma High Schools supplied buses to ferry the athletes to and from Chinhoyi.