adminFrom Collin Matiza in HAMBURG, Germany
IT’S been all work and less play for the Mashrhino boys and girls Under-16 handball players from Zimbabwe as they wind up their 16-day sporting and cultural tour of Germany this week in which they’ve been “grilled” by top German coaches.
The Mashrhino boys and girls Under-16 team are a select side picked by the Mashonaland West Handball Association and they have been here for the past two weeks for a special training programme at the invitation of the Hamburger Handball Association (Verband e.V).
A team of seven boys and five girls, drawn from several primary and high schools in Mashonaland West Province has been undergoing this special training programme which is aimed at developing their handball-playing skills.
Since their arrival here on April 3, this team was put under this programme which is being supervised by Nadine Gobel of the GeBe Foundation, a German non-profit organisation that facilitated this tour, and Anja Grimme, who has also been assigned by the Hamburger Handball Association to handle the day-to-day schedule of this “project”.
Elke Becker of the Hamburger Handball Association has been the overall supervisor of the programme.
This week, which is the second and final week of the Mashrhino team’s tour of Germany that has seen them playing as well as practicing against a number of junior German clubs dotted around Hamburg, also resulted in them being involved in a heavy schedule of events.
After having a “rest day” on Monday during which they toured the city of Hamburg, the team got back to some serious business again on Tuesday when a squad of seven boys who are in the Mashrhino side were engaged in a two-hour training session with the Under-17 side of one of Germany’s top handball Bundesliga outfits HSV Hamburger at the famous 02 Arena in Hamburg.
The seven boys of the Mashrhino team who are currently involved in the training programme are Nathaniel Moyo, Makhosi Mugoba, Tawedzera Mada, Siwellogyn Gwembere (all from Conway College in Mount Hampden), Ryan Munaki, Tanatswa Dzotizeyi and Runyararo Tizora (all from Kutama College in Zvimba).
These boys are under the guidance of coach Norman Mkondiwa from Kutama College.
On Tuesday evening the five girls in the team – Anastancia Manuwere and Mitchel Ngunga of Conway College, Winnie Machipisa (Martindale Primary School between Chegutu and Norton), Sanyati Baptism School’s Charmaine Gororo and Anesu Bonomali from Chegutu – were involved in their own intensive two-hour training session with another top German club ATMV.
The girls are under the guidance of coach Justina Mupondi.
On Wednesday morning the whole team then toured the Port of Hamburg before the boys returned to HSV Hamburger in the afternoon for another two-hour training session with the top German club while the girls were engaged by BSV.
Yesterday, the boys team was involved in a match against another top junior German handball club Barmbek while the girls returned to ATMV.
In the meantime, their three coaches Alfos Mhondiwa, Mkondiwa and Mupondi yesterday attended a one-day advanced coaching course under the Hamburger Handball Association as part of the special training programme for the Mashrhino team.
Today, the girls team are scheduled to have a training session at Stellingen in Hamburg while the boys will be back at the 02 Arena for their final workout with HSV Hamburger, all for two hours before both teams play in a “goodbye” tournament scheduled for tomorrow morning in Barmbek.
Online Reporter