adminLovemore Dube Senior Sports Editor
IN celebrating 120 years of Bulawayo’s existence, Barham Green Sports Club has embarked on a drive to revive sport at its facility which was once the home of Henry McKop, a former national senior football team player. Club chairman Ali de Souza said in line with celebrating the city’s rich sporting history and legacy, the club would this year emphasise on youth sport development. He said he wanted his committee to leave a mark and set up career paths for the young.
“As Barham Green we have all the reasons to celebrate Bulawayo’s attainment of 120 years. We are part of it and in our very own small way, we have made our mark and we should continue to contribute positively,” said De Souza.
He said more often sports clubs nowadays were associated with drinking yet behind most of them there is a rich sporting history.
“It is true we have been associated with drinking. Yet there is so much sporting history at our clubs and we want to continue to churn out positive minded Zimbabwean youths who can go all the way and make careers out of sport. Not everyone is academically gifted and sport, besides being entertainment and employment, is a very good tool for social cohesion,” De Souza said.
He said a football academy would soon be fully functional with players of all races under the age of 18 training regularly there. Their facility has produced players like Henry McKop and his brothers Tyrone and Pernell all of whom had represented the country at some stage.
There were also other great players of the yesteryear era who were good like Bruce Mawa and Winston Feldman.
The club, De Souza said, wanted to take its place under the sun and get to dominate board games like darts and snooker.
“We have had good players like John Mayers, Bruce Mawa, Quinton Porter, Wendy Orange all outstanding in their sporting endeavours. We want to see the club abuzz with sporting activities.
“There are some people within the community and business circles who want to help the club grow by helping us put up more infrastructure like basketball, beach football and volleyball. The challenge is on the youths and community to patronise the facilities so that they raise their own funds for maintenance,” he said.
De Souza said among fundraising ventures the club would undertake was to offer billboard advertising opportunities to companies.
“Yes Tsano, things are hard. We all have to work and make these clubs vibrant. We will offer advertising opportunities to companies around the perimeter walls of our complex. However, that will not be enough so we will still expect the corporate sector to come in which will then challenge us to be more transparent and follow good corporate governance procedures.”
De Souza praised Henry McKop for winning the Brown Velvet Sporting Award in Harare recently as something that should inspire future generations of sportspersons.
McKop was among personalities recognised for their contribution to the coloured community with Vernon Bowers, a former Mighty Warriors coach, among many overlooked by Zifa for honorary awards despite his massive contribution to women’s football.
Online Reporter