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E0.5M TO SEND 5 ATHLETES TO MOROCCO

14/08/2019 00:50:00 BY NTOKOZO MAGONGO

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MBABANE – It will cost an arm and a leg to send the five athletes to the 12th edition of the Africa Games billed for Rabat, Morocco.

The Eswatini Olympics and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) and the Eswatini Sport and Recreation Council (ESRC) had to meet each other half way to raise the E500 000 that was needed to send the team.

The team includes coaches, Muzi Mabuza and Mancoba Motsa, team manager Zama Tsabedze and Chef de Mission Zakhele Zulu. ESRC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Darius Dlomo said they would have loved to send a bigger team but due to the financial constraints, they could only send the five athletes.
EOCGA forked out E270 000 while ESRC spent E230 000 to make sure that the country was represented in the games. Dlomo thanked the government for the continued support and said they were happy that EOCGA came to the party.

The money will cater for travelling, uniform, allowances and welfare of the team during the 12 days trip.
“We wish the Minister can also join the team in Morocco as to be the leaders. The team will be in the same place where the children of Israel went through before gaining their independence. We are happy with the support we are getting form the government,” he said.

Dlomo highlighted that the mandate of seeing squads for international games including the Africa Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics Games was given to the EOCGA and they were working together.

Meanwhile, Minister of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Harries ‘Madze’ Bulunga from His Majesty’s Government, through our Ministry, is on a mission to develop the sporting sector up to a point where it can bring about solid and sustainable contributions to the welfare of emaSwati and the country’s overall economy.

“This is why, last week, we were validating the National Sports Bill which will help bring about better regulation of the industry and facilitate better resource mobilisation mechanisms. Sport has a big role to play towards the attainment of our goal of achieving First World Status by 2022. Achieving our goal of professionalising sport in Eswatini will continue to require strong collaborations between His Majesty’s Government and all stakeholders and partners,” he said.
He then wished the team a safe trip.