adminCollin Matiza in HAMBURG, Germany
THE Hamburger Handball Association of Germany would like to engage the Mashonaland West Handball Association of Zimbabwe and help in the development of the sport in the country.
This good news came on Wednesday evening when one of the most influential figures in German handball, and the president of the Hamburger Handball Association, Rolf Reincke, paid a courtesy call on the Mashrhino team, a junior select side from the Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe.
Reincke, who is also the vice-president of Germany Handball, pledged his body’s full support of the Mashonaland West Handball Association when he met the 11 Mashrhino players and two of their officials, Alfos Mhondiwa and Norman Mkondiwa, a schoolteacher from Kutama College in Zvimba, before the team had a two-hour training session with the Under-17 side of one of Germany’s top handball sides, BSV Handball, at the O2 Arena in Hamburg.
Addressing the Mashrhino players, and their officials, Reincke said they were all pleased to have the Zimbabwean junior team in their country and would like them to visit Germany regularly for a similar training and cultural exchange programme.
“We are all more than happy to have you all here from Zimbabwe. This is a very good thing as this would help in cementing good sporting relationships between the two countries and we (the Hamburger Handball Association) would do everything to help you in developing these players and turn them into good and world class players.
“We would like to see you having more of these training programmes here in Germany and I hope this is going to be a long-term programme which will help in the development of handball in your country,” said Reincke, who was accompanied by one of the Hamburger Handball Association’s top officials Elke Becker.
Reincke is one of the most respected sports administrators in Germany after having served as a table tennis official for more than 30 years before he was invited to become the president of the Hamburger Handball Association (Verbande.V), which runs handball in this big German city, due to his sound sports administration background.
And, after having accepted to become the president of the Hamburger Handball Association, Reincke later became the vice-president of the country’s national handball mother-body, Germany Handball.
On Wednesday evening, the seasoned German sports administrator later posed for a group photograph with the Mashrhino team and senior players of BSV Handball, including the popular Germany senior national side star Pascal Hens, who were present at this training session.
Before meeting Reincke on Wednesday evening, the 11-member Mashrhino team, featuring seven boys and four girls — from the Mashonaland West Province, also had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of watching the BSV Handball senior men’s team players in action when they were having their own training session at the 02 Arena.
The young Zimbabwean players currently on this special training programme are seven boys Nathaniel Moyo, Siwellogyn Gwembere, Makhosi Mugoba, Tawedzerwa Mada (all from Conway College in Mount Hampden), Ryan Munaki, Tanatswa Dzotizeyi and Runyararo Tizora (all from Kutama College in Zvimba); and four girls — Anesu Bonomali (St Francis Roma in Chegutu), Anastancia Manuwere (Conway College), Winnie Machipisa (Martindale Primary School) and Charmaine Gororo (Sanyati Baptist School).
On Wednesday, these young players also had a one-hour guided tour of the Imtech Arena, the home of former European soccer champions, HSV Hamburger, who have the likes of Germany’s UweSeeler and Felix Magath; and England’s Kevin Keegan among their legends.
Former Liverpool star Keegan played for HSV Hamburger for three years from 1977 to 1980.
On his arrival in Germany, he was the highest paid player in the country, and was built-up by the Press and club as the “saviour” of Hamburg.
Online Reporter