Harare has been crowned the overall champion of the 2026 Zimbabwe National Youth and Paralympic Games, delivering a commanding multi-sport performance to top the provincial medal standings at the conclusion of the 17th edition of the Games.

The capital province finished with 15 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze medals for a total of 40, comfortably ahead of hosts Mashonaland East, who accumulated eight gold, 11 silver and seven bronze medals for 26 overall. Manicaland completed the podium with eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals, giving the eastern province 19 medals in total.

The Games, held in Marondera from August 13 to 17 under the theme “Breaking the Silence Through Sport,” were staged under the auspices of the Sports and Recreation Commission and the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, bringing together young athletes from all provinces.

Harare’s dominance was most pronounced in athletics, where the province collected 12 gold, nine silver and five bronze medals, laying the foundation for its overall success. The 12 athletics gold medals represented the biggest contribution by any province in a single sport code at the Games, underlining the depth of talent within the capital.

Beyond track and field, Harare added gold medals in boys’ basketball and tennis, while its boxing contingent contributed one gold and one bronze. The province also picked up bronze medals in both boys’ and girls’ volleyball and six bronze medals in table tennis, rounding out a well-balanced campaign across multiple disciplines. Harare ultimately claimed the overall provincial team titles in athletics, boys’ basketball, overall basketball and tennis.

Mashonaland East’s second-place finish was built on strong showings in athletics, football, volleyball and boxing. The hosts’ eight gold medals included five from athletics, one from boys’ volleyball, one from football and one from boxing. Their 11 silver medals were spread across athletics, girls’ volleyball, table tennis and football, with additional contributions from boxing and basketball. Mashonaland East also dominated the men’s and overall football categories and won the overall volleyball title.

Manicaland’s third-place finish was powered by an outstanding table tennis campaign, in which the province won seven gold, one silver and three bronze medals to take the overall table tennis title. The province also collected a gold and a silver in basketball, with further medals from athletics and boxing helping to secure its podium place. Manicaland also emerged as the best girls’ basketball team.

Bulawayo emerged as the strongest boxing province at the Games, winning the overall provincial boxing title after collecting three gold and two bronze medals. The boxing success helped Bulawayo finish fourth overall, with eight gold, four silver and six bronze medals across all disciplines.

Masvingo produced the strongest female boxing team, while Bulawayo took the honours for the best provincial male boxing team.

Boxing also featured prominently in other provinces’ medal campaigns. Masvingo won two gold and five bronze medals in boxing, contributing to an overall tally of four gold, four silver and 14 bronze medals.

Midlands collected one gold and three silver medals in boxing, while Mashonaland East recorded one gold and two bronze. Matabeleland South secured one gold, two silver and three bronze, while Matabeleland North won one gold, two silver and one bronze. Mashonaland Central’s boxing contingent contributed three silver and one bronze, while Mashonaland West won two bronze medals.

Athletics once again proved crucial to provincial medal tallies at national youth level. Alongside Harare’s 12 gold medals, Mashonaland East and Midlands each collected five athletics gold medals, while Bulawayo secured four. Harare took the boys’ athletics, girls’ athletics and overall athletics honours, reinforcing its status as the country’s leading youth athletics province.

The final medal table highlighted the competitive nature of the Games beyond the top three. Bulawayo and Midlands both finished on 18 medals, but Bulawayo occupied fourth place after collecting eight gold medals compared with Midlands’ seven.

Mashonaland West finished sixth with five gold, five silver and 16 bronze medals, while Masvingo was seventh with four gold, four silver and 14 bronze. Mashonaland Central placed eighth with three gold, seven silver and two bronze, followed by Matabeleland South in ninth with three gold, six silver and five bronze. Matabeleland North completed the standings with one gold, three silver and three bronze medals.

Other provincial team titles included Midlands winning the girls’ football title, Mashonaland Central taking netball, and Masvingo being crowned the best provincial girls’ volleyball team.

For Harare, the triumph underscores the province’s depth in youth sport, while for other provinces, the medal standings offer a clear snapshot of their strengths and areas where greater investment may be required as Zimbabwe continues to develop its next generation of sporting talent.