Lesotho hosts AUSC Region 5 meetings at Avani Lesotho

LESOTHO MINISTRY OF GENDER AND YOUTH, SPORT AND RECREATION HOSTS THE AUSC REGION 5 BI-YEARLY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETINGS IN MASERU FROM THE 25 APRIL TO 4 MAY 2018

The Ministry of Gender and Youth, Sport and Recreation is currently hosting the bi-yearly AUSC Region 5 Executive Council Meetings. The meetings are held at Avani Lesotho, where a number of various Committees and Commissions such as Women In Sport (WIS) and Sport for People with Disability (SPWD) are expected to meet to deliberate on various issues of sport and  contribute to the advancement of the cause of sport  development and policy shaping for sport community at large,  minority and often marginalized groups such women in sport and people with disabilities involved in sport.

Members of the Region comprise of: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These meetings are hosted by all AUSC Region 5 member countries on rotational bases and for the May 2018 Lesotho is currently hosting.

The Minister of Gender and Youth, Sport and Recreation, Dr Mahali Phamotse said “We are excited as the Government of Lesotho to extend our hospitality to the entire leadership of sport in region. In the past we have seen how other member countries have prepared for such meetings and as Lesotho we are excited to showcase to the region the culture of Basotho and our hospitality.  We hope the deliberation that will take place here in Lesotho will change the face of sport in our Region and our athlete’s lives will be changed for the better and we will go on international competition to win medals”.

The meetings will be attended by all member countries represented by the directors of sport in the ministries, chairpersons of sport commissions or council and their Chief Executive Officers together with the Olympic Committee organisation of the region represented by COSANOC.

ENDS

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DISTRIBUTED BY AUSC AND MINISTRY OF GENDER AND YOUTH, SPORT AND RECREATION IN LESOTHO BY SIYABONGA SANGWENI. FOR ANY MEDIA QUERIES CONTACT:

CONTACT DETAIL FOR LESOTHO

EUNICE MAKARA

+266 59092894

Eunicemakara@yahoo.com

EDITORS NOTE:

The African Union Sport Council Region5 (AUSC Region5) is the sports arm of the African Union, which was once the Organisation of African Unity. It was formed in the 1960s, and its headquarters is based in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The main aim of the AUSC is to use sports to achieve peace, integration and unity in Africa i.e. sport as a vehicle of encouraging people to develop and come together, irrespective of colour, economic status, political, class, or gender.

The AUSC divided Africa into seven competition zones due to the vastness of the continent and for financial prudence. The main consideration was the countries’ geographical positions. It is from this that AUSC Region was born.

BACKGROUND OF THE AFRICAN UNION SPORTS COUNCIL (AUSC) REGION 5

The African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 is one of the five Regions entrusted with the responsibility to develop sport under the African Union. This follows the dissolution of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa (SCSA), under which the Region 5 was known as SCSA Zone VI.

Members of the Region comprise of: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The SCSA was established on the 14 December 1966 and served as a specialized agency of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) for the coordination of the Africa Sports Movement and to utilize Sport in the struggle against colonialism and apartheid on the continent. Invariably, the SCSA was essentially a political organization which furthered the aims and objectives of the OAU through Sport.