With just days before the 10th All-Africa Games roar into life, the Games fever is sweeping across Maputo, the capital of Mozambique as the country prepares to host the multi-sport event.
The All-Africa Games which officially open on September 3 have aroused the citizens of this country which is known for its culinary delights.
At every corner of the street, café, restaurants, bars and public transport, the story is that of X Jogos Aficanos the Portuguese version of 10th All-Africa Games.
I caught up with Saide a volunteer with COJA Maputo the Organising Committte of Games and he was full of expectations and couldn’t hide his excitement at the prospects of being part of the African sport festival.
At the National Sports Stadium in Zimpeto, Maputo, the story is the same with hundreds of young youths boys and girls engaged as volunteers of the Games.
They throng the offices of the COJA to receive last minute instructions, all full of excitement.
Still hundreds more whose applications could not be accepted by the Organising Committee keep knocking on the doors of the Organising committee hoping for last minute inclusion recruitment and involvement in the Games.
They cannot just be left out of this once-in-a-lifetime, historic occasion for their country.
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Meanwhile, the head of delegations of countries commonly referred to as chef de mission the French version, started arriving in Maputo to finalise the accreditation of their delegations in advance of their teams arrival.
I caught up with the chef de missions of Nigeria and Eritrea who all expressed satisfaction with the pre-games processes and procedures.
Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, is bringing the biggest delegation to the Games with well over seven hundred athletes.
Nigeria chef de mission Yakmut expressed optimism that their superiority in numbers would transform into medals.
The Maputo edition will feature twenty sporting disciplines namely, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, canoeing, chess, cycling, handball, football, judo, karate, netball, sailing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, table tennis, triathlon, volleyball (including beach volleyball) and sport for people with disabilities (athletics and swimming) Zimbabwe hosted the VI All-Africa Games in 1995.
