adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
MASHRHINO, a handball select side from Mashonaland West Province, are looking at breaking with tradition this year which will see them travelling to Germany in April to take part in the Hanse Cup in Hamburg.
The past three or four years have seen Mashrhino participating in one of the world’s biggest youth handball tournaments — the Partille Cup — which is held annually during the first week of July in Gothenburg, Sweden.
But this year, Mashrhino have been invited by the Hamburg Handball Association, through the GeBe Foundation, to take part in the two-day Hanse Cup on April 4 and 5.
The tournament is designed for the Under-11, 13, 15, 17 and 19 age groups for both boys and girls.
Alfos Mhondiwa, the vice chairperson of the Mashonaland West Handball Association, confirmed yesterday that they have been invited to take part in this year’s Hanse Cup in Hamburg as part of their proposed 16-day tour of Germany in April.
Danhamombe High School of Masvingo have also been invited for the same handball tour of Germany in April this year.
“In fact, we have been invited by a German professional handball club, HSV Hamburg, through the GeBe Foundation, to tour Germany for 16 days in April this year and we are going to pick a Mashrhino boys and girls select side that will undertake this maiden trip to the European country.
“Traditionally, we’ve been going to Sweden as part of Team Zimbabwe that has been taking part in the Partille Cup for the past three or four years but we have also decided to send a Mashrhino select side to Germany this year and we’ve just been told that we will take part in the Hanse Cup during our stay there,” Mhondiwa said.
He said they were currently running around, engaging a number of stakeholders in the Mashonaland West Province in their fundraising campaign for this trip to Germany which will see Mashrhino representing Zimbabwe in this year’s Hanse Cup.
“We have a provisional list of 35 players and officials who we have earmarked for this trip and I hope we will have everything in place by next week as the parents and schools in Mashonaland West Province are also involved in this fundraising campaign for Mashrhino’s trip to Germany in April.
“The total budget for this trip is huge as each person needs to pay at least US$2 500 for the airfare and accommodation. In fact, the airfares are fluctuating and we are really working around the clock to raise this kind of money under this harsh economic climate, but I think we will come up with something at the end of the day.
“In fact, the organisers of the Hanse Cup have already asked us to send them the names of the Mashrhino players and officials who will take part in this year’s tournament and we have already done that,” said Mhondiwa, who added that Mashrhino are likely to field two teams for both the boys and girls Under-16 age-group at this year’s Hanse Cup in Hamburg.
The GeBe Foundation also confirmed on their Facebook wall yesterday that two Zimbabwean handball teams will participate in this year’s Hanse Cup.
“For the first time two Zimbabwean Handball teams are going to play at the Hanse Cup 2015 in Hamburg-Bergedorf Germany. Congratulations!” the GeBe Foundation said
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