HARARE - The Ministry of Education, Sports Arts and Culture yesterday allocated just over $1 million for all sporting disciplines in the country.  

The $1 350 000 channelled to sports is part of a total budget of $1 billion apportioned to the ministry by Finance minister Tendai Biti last year.

Education, arts and culture will now receive the highest allocation from the budget, although the full breakdown was not made public yesterday.

Of the amount channelled to sports, the ministry’s permanent secretary Constance Chigwamba, during a presentation to the parliamentary portfolio committee on Education, Sports and culture yesterday, said national teams across all sporting disciplines will share $300 000.

$150 000 will go towards the hosting of National Youth Games and Paralympics Games.

An extra $130 000 was allocated to “developing community sports club, formation, awareness and consultative meetings.”

The ministry dispensed $124 000 for training and developing though local organising committees, $136 000 was channelled towards developing national associations (national strategy development, talent identification, talent development camps, sport arbitration tribunal and national association development grants).

 Chigwamba also channelled $25 000 for domestic and foreign travel while $ 74 270 will cutter for the hosting of national annual sports awards, setting up of hall of fames and funding of such events as Danhiko, Gutu and Olympic Day races. -  Blessings Mashaya