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Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
VICE-President Kembo Mohadi yesterday toured the proposed Zimbabwe Cricket Academy in Esigodini where he challenged the community to safeguard it as their very own asset set to grow the centre’s economy.
Addressing the community, cricket family and other stakeholders who included schoolchildren and business sector, he said the community has a duty to safeguard the investment being made.
“This is a facility to be proud of, it’s yours, protect it, make it viable. Quite a number of national cricketers like the late Heath Streak came from Esigodini. Let us use it to better ourselves,” said the Vice-President who added that it would improve the district’s gross domestic product.
He said it would create employment to locals and also contribute in the long run in the development of the sport with some kids from the region to take cricket as a career.
Zimbabwe Cricket chose the old Ncema Country Club in the rich gold mining and agriculture district centre to be the new centre of excellence in Matabeleland. This is set to revolutionalise the sport’s development in the province and region and also boost sports tourism a sector that the country is also focusing on.
Tavengwa Mukhuhlani, the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) president told Zimpapers Sports Hub that they expect the facility to have taken shape by year-end. Development appeared to have stalled after an announcement and groundbreaking ceremony some years ago.
But in the tour yesterday, it was evident from what the Vice-President Mohadi was shown, that ZC means business.
Work has begun at the centre with good turf blooming, a water tank installed and bricks on site.
A three-star boarding facility for visiting teams will also be constructed so that they utilise what is set to offer the best accommodation in Esigodini.
Previously teams stayed in Bulawayo and drove off after matches.
In full swing the facility will house development players and also be home for activities of other sporting disciplines.
VP Mohadi said sport is an industry that still needs to be grown. He said it has the potential to develop to a big employer hence the challenge to develop cricket and not to leave out other sporting disciplines that young sportspersons may be gifted in.
In emphasising the need to take sport seriously VP Mohadi said: “Sport is a profession that needs to be nurtured here in Zimbabwe. Under sport we have a number of disciplines like soccer, netball and athletics that are administered by the Ministry of Sports and Culture. There has to be structures so that sport grows as a profession, we want to see sports grow to an extent where Zimbabwe is a powerhouse.”
Zimbabwe athletes continue to make an impression in the world and more are making in-roads at the summit of world sport.
VP Mohadi said it was pleasing to note that the soils are good for cricket pitch development and a particular bowling action.
“We have the best soils where cricket can be played here at Ncema Valley Sports Club. This is good for cricket, I am told it is good for spin bowling,” said VP Mohadi.
Mukhuhlani had earlier on briefed the Vice-President Mohadi that Ncema Valley soils were like those at Queens in Bulawayo whose favourable turf tended to favour spinners.
Vice-President Mohadi encouraged school going kids to take up cricket.
Provincial cricket boss Arthur Maphosa said he is excited with the development in his area of jurisdiction.
He said that will go a long way in the real development of the sport when all the talent identified from the province will be taken to the centre for further grooming.
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