Online Reporter
Stanford Chiwanga, [email protected]
FORMER Zimbabwe international cricketer Chris Mpofu has been receiving a hero’s welcome in India, where he has been escorted by police and army personnel, mobbed by adoring crowds from the moment he stepped off the plane and treated like a VIP during his visit to Doda in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
While the former fast bowler has become one of the biggest attractions at the All India 16th Gufran Memorial T20 Cricket Championship, he has also been using his profile to champion an important cause, leading anti-drug awareness campaigns and promoting positive lifestyles among young people.
From the moment he landed in India, Mpofu has found himself at the centre of attention. Crowds have gathered to catch a glimpse of the former Zimbabwe star, with supporters mobbing him at airports, schools and tournament venues. His profile as a former international cricketer has made him one of the competition’s biggest attractions, but it is his work away from the cricket field that has earned him widespread admiration.
Mpofu, who hails from Bulawayo’s high-density suburb of Magwegwe, admitted that even he has been overwhelmed by the reception he has received.
“I didn’t expect this. It’s been amazing, humbling considering the warm welcome. It’s the greatest experience I have had here. I have always been treated well but this time it was something else. I was given an army and police escort. I mean I am a boy from Magwegwe and I am living that life. I love to thank God, he is the one who made it possible,” said Mpofu.
The former Zimbabwe paceman has not only been attending cricket matches during his stay but has also become a key figure in anti-drug awareness programmes being conducted across Doda.
As the tournament’s brand ambassador, Mpofu has been visiting schools and interacting with hundreds of students, encouraging young people to stay away from drugs and focus on education, discipline and sport.
At Faridia Model Higher Secondary School in Doda, Mpofu led an anti-drug awareness programme organised by the Young Star Cricket Club (YSCC) Doda as part of the ongoing Nasha Mukt Jammu and Kashmir campaign. During the engagement, he spoke to students about the dangers of substance abuse and urged them to make positive choices.
Drawing from his experiences as an international sportsman, Mpofu emphasised the importance of hard work, commitment and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He encouraged learners to view sport and education as tools for personal development and warned against the dangers posed by drugs and other harmful substances.
His message resonated strongly with students, many of whom packed school grounds to meet the former Zimbabwe international. Images and reports from the event showed enthusiastic crowds surrounding Mpofu as he interacted with learners, signed autographs and shared life lessons from his cricket journey.
According to Mpofu, the anti-drug campaign has become one of the most rewarding aspects of his visit.
“As the ambassador of the tournament I was asked to go around schools talking about drugs. At night I go and do the toss as the ambassador and do a bit of commentary,” he said.
The former Zimbabwe international has embraced the ambassadorial role with enthusiasm, balancing his involvement in tournament activities with community outreach programmes aimed at steering young people away from substance abuse.
While promoting the tournament, Mpofu says he is also carrying the Zimbabwean flag wherever he goes.
“I am here as the ambassador of Zimbabwe as well, I am representing my country and I am talking about the beauty of Zimbabwe and cricket back home. I have been mingling with the crowd.”
That role as a proud representative of Zimbabwe has not gone unnoticed. Through his interactions with local communities, students and cricket fans, Mpofu has become an unofficial ambassador for the country, sharing stories about Zimbabwe and helping strengthen bonds through sport.
His popularity has extended beyond Doda. Mpofu recently featured for Gujarati Diamonds in a tournament in Delhi, where his side reached the final before losing to UP Stars.
Mpofu’s reception in India shows the respect earned by the country’s sportsmen and women on the international stage. While his achievements in Zimbabwe colours are well documented, it is his willingness to use sport as a platform for positive social change that is winning admiration thousands of kilometres from home.
From receiving police and military escorts to addressing packed school assemblies and being surrounded by admirers at every turn, Mpofu’s Indian adventure has turned into an unforgettable experience. For the self-described “boy from Magwegwe”, it is a moment of pride, humility and purpose. One that has seen him represent not only a cricket tournament, but also Zimbabwe itself with distinction.
