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Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S Ambassador to China, Martin Chedondo, has proposed an international football friendly match between the Warriors and China as part of enhancing the already strong bilateral relationship that exist between the two countries.
Already, the Zimbabwean football footprint is all over China with the Jadel Football Academy, which is owned by former Motor Action utility player Walter “Ringers” Musanhu, now well established in the Asian country.
Through this nursery, which has nationals from across the globe, the two countries have engaged in cultural exchanges with some youngsters from Zimbabwe earning scholarships in China. The academy held their fifth awards ceremony in Beijing on Saturday with Chedondo the guest of honour.
Giving his keynote address, Chedondo saluted the Jadel Football Academy for the role they are playing in uplifting youngsters.
“Since its inception in 2019, we have all bore witness to the growth and development of JFA in China and beyond.
“As an embassy, we are proud that JFA represents a modest investment by a Zimbabwean national (Walter Musanhu) in China.
“The many testimonies made here tonight dearly demonstrates that JFA is contributing significantly to the further strengthening of cultural exchanges between Zimbabwe and China,” said Chedondo. “It is my sincere hope that whilst JFA has paved the way with its junior football activities, there is scope for Zimbabwe and China to organise football exchanges at various levels such as playing friendly matches between our two senior national teams.
“Such initiatives will augment the excellent bilateral relationship between our two countries. “Let me take this opportunity to congratulate all the JFA players for their hard work in the past football season.
“They are the driving force behind JFA’s achievements. I concur that all the players are winners. I also wish to pay tribute to JFA technical staff and management for their commitment and dedication to this project. I also wish to thank all the parents for not only supporting their kids but for trusting JFA with their children “ Chedondo said.
Musanhu said while it was worth celebrating the milestone, the Jadel Football Academy will continue to put in the work to ensure that they continue spreading their wings across the globe.
“As an ambitious football academy, JFA strives to become part of the global football family. To date, we have spread wings to far away places such as Zimbabwe. Our target is to keep growing to be amongst the best football academies in the world,” said Musanhu.
“To achieve this, we have embraced sports science and modern training methods specific to the needs of the players and the ever evolving sport of football.
“We understand that change should not deter or scare us but should spur us to be creative and imaginative in this modern world of artificial intelligence, which we seek to embrace and use along with other scientific methods of sports training to improve our players.
“The past year has been exciting for Jadel Football Academy. There has been personal growth on all players in bio motor abilities and skills, thanks to the work of the capable coaches as well as the support of all the parents and guardians,” said Musanhu, the young brother of former Dynamos defence kingpin, Chamu Musanhu, who is now based in Liverpool, England.
It has been a remarkable year for JFA who scored several successes.
In August, they toured Germany for a cultural exchange programme while seven players from the Zimbabwe wing of the nursery also attended two high profile matches in China.
“We are proud that four of our players were selected to go back to Germany on a possible scholarship programme. To add icing to the cake, Grade 5 and Grade 6 teams won the Beijing
International Junior league Championship. Due to their individual and collective efforts, we are proudly celebrating all these achievements.
“Let me stress that all our players are winners and should proudly wear their JFA badge on their shirts and inside their hearts as well “ Walter Musanhu said.
Meanwhile, Herald Sports Reporter, Tadious Manyepo, was also honoured in absentia at the JFA awards with a floating trophy for the role he is playing in the development of sport, especially football, in Zimbabwe.
“Manyepo is playing a key role in the development of sport in the country. His passion for development is unmatched given how he goes out of his way to report objectively about development issues and telling athletes’ personal stories beyond what is known about them,” said Walter Musanhu.
“He is an ideal example of a sport journalist who doesn’t just do the job for the sake of doing it. He shows that he loves sport and his reportage shows a lot of depth.
“We would also like to congratulate him for winning the Sports Journalist of the Year award for 2023 at the National Journalistic and Media Awards (NJAMA).
“On our part, we have made him our Media Ambassador.”
An excited Manyepo, who couldn’t be in China because he delayed applying for his Visa, de-scribed the honour as humbling.
Online Reporter