adminCollin Matiza in HAMBURG, Germany
WHEN she was born in Chegutu, 11 years ago, young Anesu Bonomali never dreamt of setting her foot in Europe.
But last year, the St Francis Roma High School Form One pupil first found herself in Europe for the first time in her short career as a handball player when she was picked by the Mashonaland West Handball Association to be part of their select side, Mashrhino’s girls’ Under-13 team, for last year’s Partille Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The Partille Cup is the world’s biggest youth handball tournament designed for the Under-10 to Under-21 age-groups. Bonomali was first unearthed by one of Mashonaland West Handball Association’s coaches Spedia Mwenyemusa in 2014 when she was still a Grade Seven pupil at Martindale Primary School.
The 11-year-old pupil, had only been introduced to the sport by one of the school teachers at Martindale Primary School, Mwenyemusa, in 2014.
Bonomali is once again back in Europe, in Hamburg, Germany, where she is part of a 11-member Mashrhino select side which is here for a 16-day handball training and cultural exchange programme under the Hamburger Handball Association.
Bonomali is part of seven boys and four girls from Zimbabwe who were picked by the Mashonaland West Handball Association for this programme which was facilitated by Bernd Wulffen’s GeBe Foundation, a German non-profit organisation that has some sporting links with a number of sport associations here in Germany and has a branch in Cape Town, South Africa.
The other members of the team are seven boys Nathaniel Moyo, Siwellogyn Gwembere, Makhosi Mugoba, Tawedzerwa Mada (all from Kutama College in Zvimba), Ryan Munaki, Tanatswa Dzotizeyi and Runyararo Tizora (all from Conway College in Mount Hampden); and three girls — Anastancia Manuwere(Conway College), Winnie Machipisa (Martindale Primary School) and Charmaine Gororo (Sanyati Baptist School). Bonomali was part of the 11 Zimbabwean players who wrote their own piece of history when they became the first team from outside Europe to take part in this big junior handball tournament.
“What really surprised me was that nobody really cared who you were at that tournament . . . whether you were black, white, Indian or coloured, we were all treated the same by the organisers of this tournament and it helped me to see or to learn that sport really breaks the racial barriers.
She is the youngest child in a family of four girls.
Online Reporter