BY TERRY MADYAUTA
ALL is set for the 19th edition of the National Youth and Paralympic Games which are expected to be officially opened by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Gweru today.
More than 5 000 athletes are expected to converge in the Midlands capital for the annual sporting extravaganza which will run from tomorrow to August 10.
The games which were postponed last year following a typhoid outbreak have been divided into two blocks with games spread across Gweru.
The first block which includes the under 23 and open Paralympics will run from tomorrow to August 4, while the second block that consists the under 18 will run from August 5 to 10.
The Sport and Recreation Commission confirmed that all was set for the event and participants are expected to start arriving today.
“As the SRC we are quite satisfied with the work that the local organising committee (LOC) has done so far, but we also recognise that there is need to ensure that the loose ends are tied up soon so that Games run seamlessly when they start.
“Accreditation of the Teams has already started and we are now using an online system. This is part of the rebranding exercise which we started this year and our focus from now onwards is on quality delivery of the Games as opposed to quantity and it is in this regard that we would like to appeal to all the people who will be involved with the Games to have a complete shift in their mind-set and approach to these Games.
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“This implies that quite a number of things we used to do will have to fall by the wayside in order to allow for the successful implementation of the rebranding exercise” the SRC spokesperson Tirivashe Nheweyembwa said.
Nheweyembwa said LOC had organised adequate water supplies for participants since there is stringent water rationing schedule in Gweru.
“LOC has been in discussions with the Gweru Municipality so that they can supply water to all the centres earmarked for the games and, if not possible, to have water bowsers so that there is running water,” he said.
