adminTadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
MASHONALAND East schools’ Under-17 sprint star Sharon Mbindori is too shattered to consider returning to the track.
She is writing her final “O” Level examinations which — for the first time in this century — spill into the new year owing disturbances spawned by Covid-19.
She admits she is not as academically gifted as she is on the athletics track, though she hopes she will squeeze out good grades.
But the outgoing St Thomas Aquinas student has given up on the sport she previously hoped would be her gateway out of poverty.
When she makes it to Chisasike Business Centre on Christmas Day, her usual smile disappears when she starts speaking about her divorce with athletics.
“I would have wanted to take athletics as a profession, but I don’t know why, but I have decided to give up the dream,” Mbindori said.
For a 17-year-old girl, orphaned at a tender age and living with her maternal grandmother in the rural areas, motivation is what she needed but failed to get hold of.
Mbindori was looking ahead to a fruitful 2020 athletics season and had already made the cut for the Nash national finals when the first school term ended prematurely due to the coronavirus epidemic.
There were hopes, at first, however, feint that the Nash finals were going ahead but, then the deadly ailment wouldn’t allow that.
In fact, schools and youth sport have remained closed, without any hint of a come-back whatsoever as the year comes to a close.
With sport psychology experts warning the longer youths take outside sport, the harder it would be to take them back.
Mbindori’s stance mirrors a compromised future for sport in Zimbabwe.
Without proper development systems for grassroots sport, the schools’ structures in the country form the broader youth sport in the country.
But, there has not been anything to write home about for school sports since March.
Although schools were allowed to reopen in a phased approach since September, sport has remained frozen.
Due to lack of development structures, the Under-17 women’s football team failed to do well during the Cosafa tournament held in South Africa while their male counterparts were disqualified for alleged age-cheating last month.
The Under-20 men’s team failed to make any impact at the same tournament early this month as well.
“It’s difficult to quantify, but the damage is certainly of extraordinary proportion, “ said Sports Medicine guru, Somani Mudariki.
Mudariki, a frontline health worker in the fight against Covid-19, a Harare City doctor and former head of medical department for the Warriors, said the future of sport has largely been compromised.
“The youngsters need constant motivation for them to retain their interest in sport.
“Unfortunately a huge chunk couldn’t get that during the lockdown period. Most haven’t been so lucky to get the mental coaching they need during this period.
“It will be very difficult for coaches and even parents to reignite the passion in these youngsters.
“A lot of money will be needed for that exercise which is normally simple but now complicated by the situation we are in.”
Outside the schools’ sport system, youth development has generally suffered a lot from this pandemic.
For 19-year-old footballer Brendon Nyagurungo, who was signed from Prince Edward Academy by Cayor Foot Academy in Senegal, the trauma is telling.
He is still recovering from the trauma he was subjected to last year.
Barely months into his contract with the globally acclaimed academy, famed for its consistency in conveying talent to France, Sweden and Denmark, Nyagurungo had to be rushed back home due to the pandemic.
Given nothing of that nature has ever happened, Nyagurungo couldn’t immediately comprehend anything.
If anything, his father had to force himself into a motivational speaker, counselor and coach to keep his son’s concentration on. But the effects of the long break, which has no end in sight, are still telling for the youngster.
Only nine months ago, Nyagurungo was touted as the best player in his age-group but his failure to really break into Tonderai Ndiraya’s Young Warriors at the recently held Cosafa tournament speaks volumes on how his growth as an individual has gone down the slope.
A couple of players from academies in the country including BN, DC and Aces, among others, had their dreams of going abroad shattered. They can only pray for another chance or the opportunity might have gone for good.
Some national age-group handball players who were supposed to represent the country in the International Handball Federation Zone V1 tournament in Zimbabwe have already crossed the age-limit line.
The IHF boys’ tournament, the premium competition in this part of the world where scouts scramble for talent, was scheduled for April this year in Zimbabwe but had to be moved to next year due to the pandemic.
Several players, who stood some chances to get noticed by teams from better leagues, have since decided to follow different paths in life.
A 21-year-old player, who was part of the provisional national squad but refused to be named said he has already decided to leave the game.
“This tournament was going to be my last chance to impress scouts. I worked hard both at home and at official training,” he said.
“I would have wanted to continue but it’s painful to note that by the time the IHF trophy will be held, I would be above the age threshold.
“I realised that sport is not worth pursuing. Professionals in other fields have been allowed to return to work and we continue to be on the sidelines in terms of playing competitions. I have already decided and I won’t be making any decisions to the contrary.”
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