adminTHE inaugural Zim Afro T10 cricket jamboree gets underway today, after a colourful opening ceremony befitting the unique festival, at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Running till July 29, the premier sporting and entertainment fête is a celebration of different cultures from across the globe.
It comes barely a month after Zimbabwe hosted the ICC 2023 World Cup Cricket Qualifiers.
A spectacle of a fast-paced format of cricket, which is completed in 10 overs per side in 90 minutes, the phenomenon is set to attract fun-loving people.
Household names like Jah Prayzah, Alick Macheso and Suluman Chimbetu lead the cast of entertainers set to provide entertainment during this sporting festival.
Nutty O, Feli Nandi, Holy Ten, Enzo Ishall, Tammy Moyo, Victor Kunonga, Hope Masike and gospel diva Janet Manyowa are also part of the crew of entertainers.
It’s a festival not to be missed by those who need a good dosage of Zimbabwean entertainment combined with top cricket.
For cricket lovers, the year 2023 will be hard to forget.
Such high-profile events, which promote cultural diversity, have continued to put Zimbabwe on the world map as a safe tourism destination.
Now, that the attention is on the Zim Afro T10, being run in Harare by T10 Global in partnership with Zimbabwe Cricket, we should take pride in being part of the new global phenomenon.
The fact that Zimbabwe is the third country to launch the tournament really shows that we are moving with the times.
With assurances from T10 league founder Nawab Shaji Mulk, who has been promising an unforgettable experience, we can’t wait to have fun.
The fact that Bollywood stars are also here all combine to add to the glamour of this event.
England winning World Cup captain Eoin Morgan is already here in Zimbabwe and these are the not the kind of players who travel the globe to play in Mickey Mouse tournaments.
It must be something significant if, as it has done, it’s a tournament that has the power to lure some of the biggest names in cricket.
South African great JP Duminy is also here, not to play, but as one of the coaches who will guide the teams.
As a Zimbabwe, we are blessed to be providing the playground for such a major event.
By just hosting the event, we are providing a message to the world that we are a country where some of its best sports stars, and favourite film stars, can also come and play.
To keep them here, for more than a week, as we are doing throughout this tournament, is huge for us.
Already, many of our leading hotels are enjoying roaring business to accommodate all the players and officials who are taking part in this tournament.
This has a significant impact on our economy and that is what we have always championed for, as a newspaper, that sport should also play its part in boosting our economy.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter