adminSisa Sihwa, Sports Reporter
THE fourth edition of the Arenel Africa Day provincial cricket tournament for primary schools gets underway this week in Bulawayo.
Beginning on 3 March to 25 May, the tourney will be contested by primary schools from Khami, Mzilikazi and Reigate districts in the preliminary round of the event. Gampu Primary School were crowned champions of last year’s edition of the competition.
Magwegwe, Mtshingwe, Mafakela, Gampu, Baines will be used as the venues for the zonal matches in each district during the tournament.
The organiser of the event Tawanda Muchechete said this year’s tournament is expected to produce fireworks and highly exciting matches.
“This year’s edition of the Arenel Africa Day schools provincial cricket tournament is expected to produce nothing less of fireworks and explosive encounters when the event begins. Even though the same teams from three districts will be participating at the competition the event still promises to be a memorable one this year for the primary schools,” said Muchechete.
Muchechete said that the tournament is a milestone that they have reached with their sponsors Arenel who have been very supportive in the sport.
“We have reached a milestone in our relationship with Arenel towards the development of cricket in primary schools. I am very thankful to them for their assistance financially, which they have shown us for the past four years. The company has been our first and main sponsor in development of sport at grassroots level,” he said.
Arenel regional sales manager Hector Mauta revealed that Arenel is passionate about the support of cricket as a discipline at junior level.
“We are trying to catch the kids while they are still young through sport. Our main aim is the enhancement of cricket as a sport at junior or primary level and our involvement as corporate is to show our passion for the sport and the community at large.
We are also glad to be working with other academies as Tiger Cricket Academy who shows passion towards cricket and its development at primary school level,” said Mauta. -@ J_sihwa
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter