Chitepo gala dazzles

Senior Sports Reporter
BONDA Mission was a hive of activity when 10 soccer teams, 10 netball teams and four traditional clubs battled for supremacy in the second edition of the Herbert Chitepo Memorial Gala recently.

The enthralling gala lived up to its high billing as hundreds of people converged at Bonda Mission School for the sport and cultural event celebrating the life of the late Chimurenga chairman and the country’s first black advocate, Herbert Chitepo.

Delma Printers, Knowstics Academy, All Arms Battle School, Nyanga Stars, Claremont, hosts Bonda Mission, John Gaul, Silver Rocks, Africa Trust and Odzi make up the list of soccer teams that took part in the event while netball teams comprised Redwing Mine, Samushonga, Rori, Erin Forest, Claremont, Bonda, Nyanga Queens, All Arms Battle School and Tsvingwe.

Ruchera, Nyatsanga, Sadziwa and Redwing Mine-based Ben Arinoti were the four traditional dance groups that competed.

Winners of the tournaments were Delma Printers for soccer, Redwing Mine for netball and Ben Arinoti for traditional dance.

Delma Printers won 3-2 on penalty shootout lottery against All Arms Battle School from Nyanga. Knowstics Academy and Africa Trust came third and fourth, respectively.

Redwing Mine narrowly beat Nyanga Queens by a 25-23 scoreline in netball to lift the title. Samushonga from Honde Valley and Bonda Mission team came third and fourth, respectively.

Ben Arinoti ruled the roost in traditional dance with Ruchera in second position and Nyatsanga in third position.

Speaker after speaker during the gala praised the late Chitepo for his vision to see a free, united and peaceful Zimbabwe.

Some spoke of his passion for creative arts as demonstrated through his poetry, writing and arts as a form of national socio-cultural identity as well as the zeal to see the empowerment of all Zimbabweans especially those in the rural areas and less advantaged parts of the country like Bonda Mission, where he was born and grew up in abject poverty.

Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Christopher Mushohwe was guest of honour and spoke glowingly about the leadership qualities of the late Chitepo, urging youths to follow in his footsteps.

International sports administrator Tommy Sithole, the Chitepo family, including the late Chitepo’s widow Victoria Chitepo, daughter and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture Thoko Chitepo, attended the event.