By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – The Eswatini Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (EOCGA) is setting its sights on upgrading the Olympafrica Sports and Development Centre into a High-Performance Centre (HPC).
An HPC focuses on training elite athletes, a resource currently unavailable within Eswatini. Local athletes often rely on the Pretoria-based HPC in South Africa for such facilities.
The Olympafrica Centre, located in Lobamba, currently accommodates nine sporting disciplines and serves as a multipurpose venue that fosters both sports and development for athletes.
EOCGA CEO Maxwell Jele, speaking to Eswatini TV Sports on Wednesday, shared the association’s vision for transforming the centre. “Upgrading this venue into a High-Performance Centre is part of our plans and long-term vision. We are working closely with our partners and stakeholders to make this a reality,” said Jele.
He highlighted the centre’s central location within the country as an ideal setting for an HPC. Among the sports currently hosted at the venue are netball, volleyball, tennis, teqball, basketball, and table tennis.
Over the past year, EOCGA has been enhancing the centre, including constructing offices officially inaugurated by former Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini. Jele noted that resurfacing and upgrading of the facilities have already been undertaken, with more improvements planned for the future.
