Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE dream to participate at the Qatar 2022 Fifa World Cup as a volunteer fell off for Praise Nyasha Smythe after she failed to submit her flight confirmation yesterday (Tuesday) which was the deadline day.
The 30-year-old budding administrator who is also a football player and is presently attached at Black Mambas was supposed to raise her airfare to Qatar, with the coordinators providing accommodation during her stay.
The return airfare to Qatar as of Tuesday was US$1 286.
A distraught Smythe who had been selected to be part of the 20 000 Fifa World Cup volunteers said she is taking a break from football because of the heartbreak.
“I’m hurt to have missed such an opportunity. Maybe the relationship I thought I had with the football family is non-existent. Maybe if I was known or if I had a better profile I would’ve managed to get assistance.
“I’m grateful to those who supported my pleas but for now, I hang my boots, it was good while it still lasted. I love football, I love sport, but for now I’m too broken to be saying I live football. I tried, I failed and I stop here,” Smythe said.
Before missing out on Qatar, Smythe participated in workshops locally and internationally representing the females who play football. She attended the first Fifa Women’s World Cup in France and also went to Germany for the women’s football development conference hosted by Discover Football.
Smythe is the co-founder of Happy Feet, an organisation that has donated balls to clubs that are marginalised sourced from Fifa.
@ZililoR
Online Reporter