SPORT, Arts and Culture minister Andrew Langa has hailed the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region V forum for considering and recognising schools sport and disabled peoples’ participation in sport.
BY GRACE CHIRANGANDE
Langa said this at a hotel in Bulawayo yesterday.
“I’m happy that our forum will cover schools sport as you all know our country encompasses sport in the education sector. We can never build sport without the involvement of schools, there is need to convince ministers on how to guarantee consistency,” the Sports minister said.
He added: “As we meet as Region V, our main target is medals and we can get those medals if we work as a team. So we should play a role as ministers to ensure that there is sport development. As we prepare for the Olympic Games set for 2020 in Tokyo, Japan, we will use other competitions that we have in between as a way of preparation.”
Chairman of the AUSC committee, Vetumbuavi Veii, pointed out that the Southern African Region had a lot of talent and should take advantage of such forums.
“We have a lot of talent in the region, but if we implement what we learn on forums such as this ones and the Podium Performance Programmes, we may be able to do well, so let us all implement. Our primary objective is the athlete. So we need governments’ support,” Veii said. He also mentioned that school sports should be taken seriously as it was vital in developing future athletes.
“If we do not put emphasis on schools, then we are not doing anything. People with disabilities are also part and parcel of our society and so we should give special attention to them because every person is disabled in their own way,” Veii added AUSC secretary-general Mvuso Mbebe urged confederations to deliver services effectively.
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“The region should be number one in everything and confederations should step up and deliver. Schools are a foundation. Unfortunately, they are not recognised and confederations are the strength of the region. If Africa is to be part of the future in the world of sport in the world, then we should set the agenda. Angola chose gymnastics to be in the AUSC and we welcome the sport. We hope they will also bring in gold medals. Angola will host the gymnastics games later,” Mbebe said.
The forum is being held so as to evaluate effectiveness of confederations’ programmes and activities and subsequently draw and align the regional confederations’ programmes to the AUSC Region V strategic plan.
Countries that make up Region V are Angola, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi, Swaziland, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Lesotho.
