Manama High School hosts a memorable provincial athletics showcase as schools, communities, and supporters rally behind young athletes.
A Province United Through Athletics
The 2026 Matabeleland South Provincial Athletics Competitions, hosted at Manama High School in Gwanda South District, brought together the finest young athletes from across the province for two days of remarkable competition, unity, and sportsmanship.
Athletes, coaches, school heads, parents, and supporters gathered to celebrate not only athletic excellence but also the spirit of teamwork and discipline that school sports continue to nurture in our young people.
From thrilling track races to intense field events, the competitions showcased the immense talent within Matabeleland South schools, reminding us that athletics remains one of the strongest platforms for youth development.
Gratitude to Our Provincial Leadership
A special word of appreciation goes to the Matabeleland South Provincial Education Director (PED) Mrs B. Manjere (left on the image), who graced the event as the Guest of Honor.
The Provincial Education Director congratulates the Under-20 boys athletes during the 4 X 100M Victory Ceremony at the 2026 Matabeleland South Provincial Athletics hosted at Manama High School.
Despite her demanding schedule, she continues to show unwavering commitment to supporting school activities across the province. Her presence at the provincial athletics competitions was deeply appreciated by athletes, teachers, and organisers alike.
Her continued support sends a powerful message that education and sports must go hand in hand in shaping well-rounded learners.
Appreciation to NASH, the Hosting District, HICs, DSIs and School Heads
Special appreciation goes to the leadership of the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH), together with the provincial, district, and cluster leadership, for their support and openness to the integration of new technologies into the management of school athletics.
Their willingness to embrace innovation made it possible to introduce several digital and organisational improvements during the championships. These included live streaming of events, digital results reporting through ProLeenk, improved communication among officials, and new athlete identification systems.
By supporting the responsible use of technology in school sport, the leadership of NASH continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to improving the organisation, transparency, and overall experience of athletics competitions for athletes, coaches, officials, and supporters across Matabeleland South.
Districts Heads in Charge (HICs) from the eight districts of Matabeleland South together with the Provincial HIC during the 2026 Provincial Athletics Championships.
We extend sincere gratitude to Gwanda South District for successfully hosting this year’s provincial competitions.
Special appreciation goes to Manama High School, whose facilities and organisation made the event possible. The school’s staff, leadership, and students worked tirelessly to ensure that all districts felt welcomed and that the competitions ran smoothly. The Manama High School choir also added a memorable ceremonial touch to the event by performing the National Anthem and a gospel hymn, setting an inspiring tone for the championships.
The Manama High School choir performs the National Anthem and a gospel hymn during the opening ceremony of the Matabeleland South Provincial Athletics Championships.
Events of this magnitude require tremendous coordination, and the dedication shown by the hosting school was truly commendable.
Thank You to the Manama Community
We would also like to thank the Manama Village community, whose hospitality and support played a vital role in the success of the event.
Large sporting gatherings require more than just organisers — they rely on the warmth and cooperation of the local community, and Manama demonstrated exactly that.
Celebrating Our Athletes, Coaches and Schools
At the heart of the competitions were the athletes themselves.
We congratulate all participating athletes for their discipline, determination, and sportsmanship. Every runner, jumper, and thrower represented not just their school but their district and community with pride.
We also recognise the invaluable contribution of:
- Coaches who trained the athletes
- School heads and teachers who supported their teams
- Parents and guardians who continue to encourage young talent
Your collective effort ensures that school sport continues to thrive.
The Power of Community Support
The business community also played an important role in supporting the event. Community partnerships remain essential in ensuring that school sports continue to grow and provide opportunities for young people.
When communities invest in youth activities, they invest directly in the future of our province.
Technology Supporting the Matabeleland South Provincial Athletics 2026
A New Digital Audience for School Athletics
One of the most exciting developments during this year’s competition was the introduction of live streaming.
Through the efforts of NuClass, the provincial athletics competitions were broadcast live on Nuclass Facebook Page, allowing parents, former students, and sports enthusiasts who could not attend physically to follow the action online. The response from the public was overwhelming, demonstrating the growing appetite for school sports coverage and the power of digital platforms to bring communities together.
In addition to live streaming, the ProLeenk sports management system was used to help manage results and rankings throughout the competition. The system provided structured reporting of team performances, ensuring transparency and quick access to official results.
Another important innovation introduced during the competition was the Video Assisted Finish Review provided through ProLeenk. A dedicated camera was positioned at the finish line to record races and assist officials in reviewing closely contested finishes.
In several races where athletes crossed the line almost simultaneously, officials were able to replay the footage and analyse the finish frame by frame. This helped to resolve approximately ten very close finishes, ensuring fairness and accuracy in the final results.
Although not a fully automated photo-finish system, this digital review method provided valuable support to race officials and demonstrated how technology can strengthen the management of school athletics competitions.
These digital tools mark an important step forward for school athletics in Matabeleland South, showing how technology can support better event management, transparency, and wider community engagement in school sport.
The response from the public was overwhelming. During those 2 days of competetion NuClass Facebook Page grew about over 2,000 Followers
One of the highlight videos has already reached over 260,000 views.
These numbers clearly show one thing:
Matabeleland South loves athletics.
The support from viewers across the province and beyond demonstrates that there is a strong appetite for seeing our young athletes compete and succeed.
Improving Communication and Event Coordination
In addition to the digital tools used during the competition, several practical innovations were introduced to improve coordination and athlete management throughout the event.
To enhance communication among officials across the large competition grounds, two-way walkie-talkies were deployed for key event coordinators and technical officials. This allowed real-time communication between different sections of the field, including the track officials, field event judges, and the results management team. The use of radios helped reduce delays, improve coordination between events, and ensure that announcements and instructions could be communicated quickly across the venue.
Officials used walkie-talkies to coordinate events and maintain communication across the competition grounds during the provincial athletics championships.
Another simple but highly effective innovation was the introduction of colour-coded wristbands for athletes. Six different wristband colours were used to represent the six age categories competing at the provincial championships. This made it easier for officials to quickly identify athletes, verify their eligibility for specific events, and manage athlete movement around the competition areas.
Colour-coded wristbands were used to identify athletes by age category and assist officials with vetting during the provincial athletics competitions.
The wristbands also assisted with vetting and event organisation, helping officials maintain order and ensure that athletes reported to the correct events and age groups. Small operational improvements such as these played an important role in keeping the competition running smoothly and efficiently throughout the two days of athletics.
Commitment to Improving the Experience
While the livestream was well received, we also experienced a few technical challenges along the way.
As NuClass, although live broadcasting is not our core business, we recognise the importance of sharing these moments with the wider community.
We therefore commit to continuing to improve our streaming equipment and setup so that future events can deliver an even better viewing experience for everyone following from home.
Looking Ahead
The Provincial Athletics Competitions once again reminded us of the incredible potential within our schools.
Beyond the medals and results, the event celebrated:
- hard work
- discipline
- teamwork
- community pride
Learn more on what our children have grown up to be through these events
A Final Thank You
To all athletes, schools, districts, coaches, heads, parents, organisers, community members, sponsors, and supporters:
Thank you for making the 2026 Matabeleland South Provincial Athletics Competitions a success.
Together, we continue to nurture talent beyond the classroom.
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