malvernmugadzikwa
The Art of Sport
Arthur Choga
THE click-clack of table tennis balls was a signal that our peers were already in session.
It was also an invitation for us to step up our pace towards the imposing Mbuya Nehanda Hall.
The groups of young people gathered there would normally be busy trying out table tennis, darts, chess and a variety of board games.
This was a daily experience in Marondera’s Dombotombo high-density area, as was the case in many such places around the country.
To say these games were a favourite pastime is an understatement.
They were a focal point of weekdays and kept us occupied.
Youths who would have finished school formed the bulk of the participants.
An elderly Mr Masarirambi was the officer at Dombotombo and is remembered by many who grew up at the time.
He was energetic and loved sports.
He stayed from the time young people would troop in and begin their daily gaming experience until they called it a day.
The long hours at the hall kept us away from vices.
Some of us eventually partook in liquids of varying legal toxicity but we looked forward to the next day’s sporting engagements so much that we kept a certain level of sobriety out of respect for our teammates and for the people we expected to meet.
My younger brother was a devoted attendee at the hall.
His love for sports and the desire to see young people occupied grew from these encounters.
It probably influenced his decision to become a teacher and certified sports trainer.
His stint as coach of Murehwa High School’s rugby team remains the stuff of legends.
He has since gone on to expand his horizons in coaching in schools.
However, the seeds were sown on the cold cement floors of a hall in Marondera.
His experience mirrors the path followed by many young men and women who felt they needed to help keep young people occupied and out of harm’s way.
There is also the growing risk of obesity in teenagers and those in their early 20s as a result of sedentary lifestyles, which are fuelled by handheld devices and high intake of unhealthy foods.
There was no social media back then, so that probably helped sports officers retain our interest. If you wanted the latest news, you actually had to go out and meet your friends, then spend the day catching up.
Some chose to do the catching up while exercising.
From these sessions, we learnt to resolve disputes, often calling in the sports officer to help us understand how to amicably close a darts game.
We also learnt to analyse sport, as some sessions involved going over football matches or athletics meets that had taken place and discussing the performance and technique of various athletes.
Not only did this inspire us, but it also helped us pay attention to detail.
The CAF Champions League was a big favourite then, with local teams producing memorable results.
We also learnt to be responsible through borrowing chess sets, among other items, and ensuring their safety.
The equipment that kept us occupied was pretty basic. Table tennis tables are not difficult to produce. The nets, bats and balls, however, might account for the biggest cost.
Other games cost even less.
In time, some centres would boast pool tables and “slug” that is common in most high-density shopping areas.
While these games may look like a throwback, they built a certain comradeship among the young people and helped them to look out for one another.
Today, such centres can be developed and tailor-made for modern games.
Local authorities and sports associations can team up with corporate associations to develop game centres where young people can come together, develop sports skills and stay engaged and entertained while taking part in physical activity.
A clear youth-engagement strategy with input from young people, and with the guidance of the parent ministries of youth and Local Government, could see the creation and restoration of facilities, the engagement of suitably qualified and interested officers and the deployment of the personnel into areas where they can make a real difference in the lives of young people.
I have no hesitation in saying the sports officer in Marondera at that time played a part in helping my friends and I to see sports and games as more than an idle afternoon out, but pursuits that had the potential to change lives.
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