Gifford High to host soccer event

Shingai Dhlamini

GIFFORD and Townsend High Schools will play host to the Orap Zenzele Isuzu Cup Tournament from June 6-8.The tournament is a platform that brings together secondary schools from both rural and urban backgrounds, igniting the competitive spirit among young football stars since its inception in 2014.

This event aims to motivate these athletes to embrace sports as a career path and cultivate self-improvement in themselves and their communities.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic caused the tournament to go dormant after 2019, but it’s back this year with a bang.

The Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (Orap)’s objective is to eradicate poverty in rural communities and alleviate youth disadvantage by empowering them to develop within their cultural context.

Equality reigns supreme in sports as this year’s tournament showcases 16 teams, including eight girls’ and boys’ teams each, from four provinces.
In the 2019 edition of the tournament, Mosi Oa Tunya emerged victorious in the boys’ division and Tongwe of Beitbridge dominated the girls’ event.
The participating provinces include Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands and hosts Bulawayo.

Gifford High School sports director, Collett Murombo, expressed his enthusiasm for an equal number of participating teams in both categories, stressing the urgency of eradicating gender norms prevalent in sporting activities.

“There will be eight girls’ and eight boys’ teams. This effort is to eradicate societal norms, which exclude the participation of the Girl Child in sporting activities,” said Murombo.

Thanks to the sponsors Orap and Autoworld Zimbabwe, the tournament has been providing underprivileged children with sports equipment for over a decade and continues to uplift young talent from disadvantaged environments.

Preparations for the event are underway at the Gifford High, promising an exciting competition. Prominent players like Bukhosi Sibanda of Bulawayo Chiefs and Dubai-based Tafadzwa Dliwayo dazzled the crowds in previous events. Murombo said in the end, football would be the ultimate winner.