.By Trevor Makonyonga
After a pathetic sporting showcase in 2019 which saw various sporting disciplines being cut off due to lack of sponsorship, the 2020 tertiary institutions games will restore all sporting disciplines come this year.
Last year’s Zimbabwe Teachers’ College Sports Association (ZITCOSA) games cut off disciplines such as cricket, hockey, handball, baseball, tennis and chess because they were not funded for.
Such was the case also for the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association (ZUSA) and Tertiary Sports Association (TESA) where the said sports were missing.
Speaking to Bustop TV Sports, ZITCOSA president Andrew Moyo confirmed that all sports will be at this year’s games and revealed months for the ZITCOSAs and Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union (ZITISU) games.
“The venue for the games is Midlands. Mkoba Teachers College in April. We have included cricket, handball, chess and both Lawn and Table tennis on top of the disciplines done last year. On behalf of ZTISU.
” ZITCOSA will host the games in Mutare in June.The AGM will come up with the theme for this year’s games, however it will hinge on the new 5.0 model of education,” he said.
The prevailing economic hardships which caused the tertiary institutions to abandon other disciplines compromised the quality of the games last year and meant other student athletes had a docile year.
Meanwhile, Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry took to Facebook to bemoan the state of the country’s once world class sporting facilities.
“What a waste. World class facilities in Zimbabwe that have gone to ruin. Our National Sports Stadium has been condemned by FIFA and CAF. These are only pictures (on her Facebook) from Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex and Magamba Hockey Stadium, but it’s the same story throughout our country. I was a kid who volunteered during the 1995 All-Africa Games in Harare and competed in this pool.
“To think that we could have had world class swimmers from Chitungwiza … would have been amazing … but it is still possible if we act now. Time to change this and bring back our national pride,” she said.
With the country’s economy in dire straits, hosting of games, bidding and sports facilities remain cause for concern. Recently, Sikandar Raza Butt lost out on a chance to become a record holder after two lbw appeals were turned down by the umpire but because the Harare Sports Club lacks modern technology, he could not appeal.
