Media involvement in Region 5 Youth games remains crucial

* Ready to partner with the media to provide timely and accurate information regarding the youth games

* To be host by Malawi in December, 2022

By Tione Andsen, MANA

Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for Africa Union Sport Council (AUSC) Region 5 Youth Games has said media involvement in the delivery of youth games remains crucial for the country.

During a day-long AUSC Region 5 Youth Games Media Orientation Programme at Bingu National Stadium, in Lilongwe on Tuesday, LOC’s chairperson, Dennis Mombera said they ready to partner with the media to provide timely and accurate information regarding the youth games to be host by Malawi in December, 2022.

“We are very keen to make sure that the media is well equipped with rightful information regarding the youth games and we want our media to be proactive in the delivery of the games,” Mombera, adding that the orientation meeting was aimed at sensitizing the media on the games and the importance of the youth games to the nation and the region as the whole.

He said the successful hosting of the youth games should leave legacy in the country and it should motivated more youth to develop an interest to venture into any sporting discipline of their choices.

In his remarks, Director of Sports in the Minister of Youth & Sports, James Ndalama said key stakeholders should come forward to help government successfully host the games, saying each stakeholder has a part to play to making sure that youth games are delivered with quality standards.

“We are expecting to have 2,021 athletes while waiting for Eswatini to provide numbers of their athletes which might not reach up to 2,500,” he said. “We are assured that 10 region 5 members are participating in this year’s youth games in 11 sporting disciplines.”

The Director said the hosting of the games was in line with the fulfillment of the AU vision of improve youth games in Africa in order to compete favourably with other continents.

One of the participants, Nation Publication reporter, Clement Chinoko commended the LOC for organizing the orientation meeting, saying it has helped the media practitioners to understand some issues related to the games.

He stated that the LOC should continue working with the media to ensure timely provision of information to the public.