adminRay Bande Senior Reporter
BONDA area of Mutasa District will be a hive of activity when the third edition of the usually exciting Herbert Chitepo Unity Day Challenge Trophy gets underway tomorrow (Saturday).
The two-day annual sport and cultural arts fiesta is meant to celebrate the life of the late nationalist and the country’s first black advocate, Hebert Chitepo.
Participating teams participate in soccer, netball, pool, traditional dance, athletics, art and craft competitions.
Members of the Bonda community in conjunction with the Herbert Chitepo Trust organise the event.
Spokesperson of the organisers, John Sarupinda, confirmed that all was set for the annual event.
“The event is on December 19 and 20 at Bonda Mission. It is normally meant to coincide with the Unity Day celebrations. It is so much of a community driven event whereby locals are heavily involved in the preparations as well as the event itself.
“All is set for the tournament. All teams have confirmed their participation. We are also involved, but it is the community that we want to put at the forefront because we are remembering their departed revered son,” said Sarupinda.
Soccer will played at Bonda Mission Grounds and Knowstics Academy and the participating teams include defending, champions, Delma Printers FC, All Arms Battle School FC, Africa Trust FC, Hauna Sweepers FC, Claremount FC, Erin Forest FC, Selborne FC, Tigers FC, Knowstics Academy FC, Bonda Stars FC, John Gault FC, All Stars Nyanga FC, Sarupinda FC, Sadziwa FC, Chirarwe FC and Odzi FC.
Netball matches will be played at Bonda Mission Grounds and the list of participating teams include Redwing Mine, All Stars, Nyanga Queens, Erin Forest, Claremount, Bonda, Hauna Sweepers, Chirarwe, Gatsi, Rore, Samushonga, Ruda and All Arms Battle School.
Darts competitions are set for St David’s Girls’ High Hall, while the teams compositing for the top prize in that sporting discipline include ZRP Nyanga, ZRP Mutasa, All Arms Battle School, ZRP Ruda, Bonda, Makunura, Sinyoro, Tufe, Erin Forest, Claremount and Mukungwe.
St David’s Primary School will play host to pool competitions where Aviron, Mudzimbasekwa, ZRP Mutasa, Africa Trust, Dzvinyu, Mukungwe and Tufe will compete.
Traditional dance competition will be held at Bonda Mission grounds and the teams that will compete in that category are Makoni, Chihodha, Muchongoyo Group from Chipinge, Bene Arinoti and Mbende.
Bonda Community, Nyanga Community, Honde Valley Community and Tsvingwe Community will compete in athletics at Bonda Mission grounds, while the art and craft agriculture show venue is St David’s Girls’ High classroom where Makoni Community, Bonda Community, Nyanga Community and Honde Valley Community will be showcasing their wares.
Chitepo, the national liberation war hero attained primary education at Bonda Mission before he enrolled at St Augustine’s Mission for his secondary education. He later went to Adams College in South Africa before joining Fort Heir University.
Last year, 10 soccer teams, 10 netball teams and four traditional clubs battled for supremacy in the second edition of the event.
The second edition of the enthralling gala lived up to its high billing as hundreds of people converged at Bonda Mission School including the then Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment, Christopher Mushowe, who is now the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister, internationally acclaimed sports administrator, Tommy Sithole, the Chitepo family, including the late Chitepo’s widow, Victoria Chitepo, daughter and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport and Recreation, Thoko Chitepo, attended the event. Winners of the tournaments were Delma Printers for soccer, Redwing Mine for netball and Ben Arinotti for traditional dance.
Delma Printers won 3-2 on penalty shootout lottery against All Arms Battle School from Nyanga. Knowstic Academy and Africa Trust came third and fourth respectively.
Online Reporter