Zimbabwe’s quest for regional sporting excellence takes centre stage this week as Harare hosts the rebranded Zimbabwe Tertiary Sports Festival, a decisive selection platform for athletes hoping to represent the country at the upcoming Confederation of University and College Sports Associations of Region V Games.
The festival, organised by Zimbabwe Tertiary Sports, is being staged at Harare Polytechnic, which is serving as both the main competition venue and athletes’ village.
The event brings together top performers from universities, teachers’ colleges and polytechnics in what has become one of Zimbabwe’s most important talent identification platforms.
Zimbabwe Tertiary Sports unites three major associations — Zimbabwe University Sport, representing 15 universities; Zimbabwe Teachers Colleges Sports Association, which covers 14 teachers’ colleges; and Technical Education Sports Arts and Recreation, representing 12 polytechnics and technical institutions.
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The structure ensures nationwide participation while strengthening collaboration across the tertiary education sector.
Universities have historically dominated the festival and are again expected to provide the core of Team Zimbabwe. However, rising competitiveness from polytechnics and teachers’ colleges has intensified competition, turning the festival into a high-pressure environment where athletes compete not only for medals but also national team selection.
Corporate backing has also boosted the stature of the event, with Delta Beverages supporting the 2026 edition. Stakeholders say increased private-sector involvement reflects growing recognition of tertiary sport as a pathway for youth development, talent nurturing and national pride.
Athletes selected from the festival will represent Zimbabwe at the CUCSA Games scheduled for June 28 to July 5, 2026, in Botswana. The regional competition will be hosted by the University of Botswana in partnership with the Botswana Tertiary Student Sports Association.
The games are expected to feature competitors from eight countries — Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini — offering Zimbabwean athletes a vital opportunity to test their abilities against the region’s best while strengthening the country’s pipeline of future elite sports talent.
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