19 May 2014

The long awaited African Youth Games (AYG) are finally here, and, with only few days to go, stakeholders are intensifying their preparedness.

Visiting countries have started to arrive in Botswana for the continental showpiece, and Kenya was the first to arrive on May 16, followed by Angola, Tunisia, Malawi, Nigeria, and Ghana, amongst others.

The games would kick off at the National Stadium on Thursday, May 22, with an opening ceremony that would be expected to capture the rich Setswana culture and all that Botswana prided itself with.

The host city, Gaborone, looks ready for the games as adverts to create the hype were erected over the weekend at all competition venues and along the city streets.

The theme song is ready and has been playing on the airwaves, and to all those miles away from the battle ground of Gaborone, they will have to stay glued to their television sets as the games will be beamed live on Botswana Television and Supersport.

In ensuring that all the preparations and logistics were in place, Botswana African Youth Games Organising Committee (BAYGOC) held a stakeholders workshop in Gaborone over the Weekend.

During the workshop, the BAYGOC chairperson, Regina Sikalesele-Vaka told the federations that the ball was now in their court to make the games a success as BAYGOC had done its part in preparing for the games.

She encouraged them to take ownership of venues, guests, equipment and athletes so that when the games commenced everything could be in place. Sikalesele-Vaka said being hosts came with challenges but an opportunity for the national federations to showcase their capabilities.

“Let’s work together as a collective, the games are not for BAYGOC, we are in it together and if we sink, we sink together,” she advised.

The chairperson said it was not the time to work against each other and ambush each other but a time to cover up whatever might be an eyesore to the visitors. She commended the affiliates for putting in efforts for the games to be a possibility, adding that now it was time to show the world that Botswana could do it.

She advised codes to be punctual at all times during the games and always ensure that they had the 54 flags and 54 national anthems from all the competing countries on standby.

“Keep your tempers under control, otherwise you will be putting the games at risk, also learn to apologise and walk away from fights in order to achieve what the country set out to do.”

The chairperson told the affiliates to inform their visitors well in time to declare any goods they bring in to the country at all entry points to avoid confiscation by customs and immigration.

On the issue of ebola, she said they were working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation to ensure that ebola was under control as every visitor would be checked for symptoms at entry points.

Sikalesele-Vaka announced that tickets for public viewing of the opening and closing ceremonies should be collected at Choppies stores on a first-come-first-served basis from May 20 as only those who had authorised tickets would be granted entry in order to avoid stampede.

Giving a presentation on competition venues, the BAYGOC venues manager, Wedu Motswetla said the venues were 90 per cent complete as they were left with final touches only. She said they had been hosting test matches for different codes.

She said they were still to meet with judo to discuss Ditshupo Hall, which was scheduled for judo and see how they could enhance the sound system.

Motswetla stated that Otse Police College Hall was still incomplete as badminton had informed them that there were still some modifications to be done on the roof which she said would be done before May 21.

She further stated that some of the equipment would be mounted and installed at the venues during the games as the venues were shared by different codes. Ends