The Midlands province is in danger of failing to participate at this year’s edition of the national youth games after failing to raise $22 000 needed for affiliation fees with just a week before the start of the games.

The annual youth sporting event starts in Chinhoyi from 13- 21 August but the Midlands province is still to affiliate the 275 athletes and officials who are supposed to participate at the youth sports festival.
 
Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC) Midlands Coordinator Simon Masaka said the province’s account is in the red at the moment as the corporate sector and businessmen in the province were not forthcoming with donations.

“We are still to affiliate because we don’t have even a cent in our coffers. We tried to reach out to companies and community share ownership schemes for support but up to now we have not yet received anything. Without affiliation we can’t participate,” said Masaka.

The Midlands Province Coordinator said he has since sent a begging bowl to the leadership in the province through various government ministries and the president’s office.

“Our last hope as a province is on the letters we sent out to our leadership for intervention. We have written to the Minister of state in the province, the ministries of Sports and Recreation, ministry of Youth and Indigenization, ministry of Education as well as the President’s Office. So we hope that after reading about our predicament they will take action and action otherwise the province is in danger of failing to participate,” he said.

Only the girls’ soccer team has managed to affiliate after Plan International paid for the 23 players and officials as part of their sponsorship towards development of women football in the province.  The Midlands needs a total of $38 000 for affiliation, transport and food to participate at the Chinhoyi games.

The province which has been the cradle of talent development in the past producing the likes of current Mighty Warriors captain Felistus ‘Figo’ Muzongondi, Dynamos Striker Jacob Muzokomba, national team athletics team sprinter Francis Zimwara among others through the national youth games is now a pale shadow of itself. The province performed dismally in 2015 coming out 10th in Mutare.