Zimpapers Sports Hub THE African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 is reinforcing its leadership in inclusive sport through the hosting of a Classification Workshop for Athletics for the Visually Impaired, to be held from today to Friday in Gaborone, Botswana. This timely workshop comes as part of Region 5’s broader strategy to enhance technical capacity and ensure equitable athlete participation at the 11th Edition of the Region 5 Youth Games, scheduled for July 4 to 13 2025 in Windhoek and Swakopmund, Namibia. The training is being facilitated by renowned Ugandan classification Specialist, Joseph Sebwana. It is designed to equip medical and sport professionals with the tools necessary to classify visually impaired athletes ahead of the Final Entry by Name (FEN) deadline of April 30 2025. Optometrists and technical delegates from five member countries — Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Zambia – had confirmed attendance by end of business last Thursday. “This workshop reflects our unwavering dedication to inclusive sport. It is not only about meeting technical standards but ensuring that every athlete, regardless of ability, is given a fair and empowering platform to compete,” said Stanley Mutoya, CEO of AUSC Region 5. “We are proud to lead the way in building systems that speak to dignity, access and opportunity for all.” In line with this vision, Region 5 will be making history by including Special Olympics competitions for the first time ever in the Youth Games. This marks a transformative step toward broad-based inclusion, and sets a new benchmark for regional multisport events on the continent. To further deepen stakeholder engagement, an Inter-Ministerial Forum on Inclusion is also being organised on the margins of the Games. The forum is expected to bring together Ministers of Sport, Education, and Health from Member States to develop a unified policy approach for inclusive sport across the region. As part of the “Making Noise” campaign, Region 5 will also launch a targeted digital awareness and activation campaign aimed at heightening visibility and transforming perceptions around sport for people with disabilities. This will be accompanied by a live Assistive Technologies for Sport Exhibition, where delegates and guests will be invited to engage directly with adaptive sporting experiences — including wheelchair basketball and tennis, and blindfolded athletics simulations.