admin
Tadious Manyepo
Sports Reporter
THE Government and ZIFA have backed plans by Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Tino Machakaire, to establish a multi-purpose high-performance sports complex, in Wedza.
The complex, to be built at Mukamba Business Centre, is expected to provide the much-needed exposure to the marginalised yet talented rural folk.
Machakaire, who is also the legislator for Wedza South Constituency, revealed the plans during the second edition of the annual Wedza South Sports Festival at Gumbonzvanda Business Centre on Saturday.
He said he has already started courting local and international investors, who have expressed interest, in bankrolling the project. “Obviously, this is a project which is never easy to accomplish. It is something which needs a lot of investors to come on board and I am in the process of talking to several of them,” said Machakaire.
“We have been given the land to construct the complex at Mukamba Business Centre.
“We have conducted our research and we realised that we need a lot in terms of financial resources.
“We are currently speaking to several investors who have shown their willingness to partner us. Once we manage to get them, which I am confident, work will then begin.
“Depending on the size of investment which we would have lured, we will then see how big the complex will be and the time-frame but otherwise its something we will certainly do.
“We need something to start from.”
Sports Commission acting director general, Sebastian Garikai, called upon the business community to support Machakaire.
“This is a great vision and this is what our sport needs,” said Garikai.
“We have a lot of gaps in terms of sport development. Our rural communities lag behind and a lot of talent end up going to waste.
“While we continue to call upon established sport academies and teams, to scout for rural talent, we also see it wiser for rural communities to also establish academies where talented players are pooled together and that will make it easy for the selectors.”
ZIFA technical director, Wilson Mutekede, said the establishment of the centre will go a long way in addressing the disparities between urban and rural talent development.
“Obviously, standard infrastructure is something that is a pre-requirement for any successful implementation of a sound sports development initiative,” said Mutekede.
“It is sad to see rural talent going to waste because of poor infrastructure which may expose athletes to injuries and actually reverse development.
“The establishment of the complex will be a good starting point.
“If we may have one in each district, we will know that our sport will be on an upward trajectory.”
Mashonaland East Volleyball Association chairman, Thulisani Zarima, said it would be good for one of the districts in his province to have such a facility.
The sports festival, which is bankrolled by the Tinmac Foundation, was launched in 2019, and caters for all age groups.
Football for both men and women, netball, volleyball, cycling, darts, pool, tug-of-war and other traditional sports like nhodo and pada, are some of the codes competed for, in this event.
Zviyambe beat Goneso on penalties to claim the men’s football winners’ medal after the match ended goalless in regulation time.
For their efforts, they each walked away with a bicycle while Goneso’s players each went home with a wheelbarrow.
Player of the tournament, Beaven Chiteta of Goneso, won a motorbike so did Previous Mutsengiwa of Goneso and Nomore Muswati of Chigondo for netball and women’s football.
ZIFA president, Felton Kamambo, and his secretariat led by spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela, as well as PSL chief executive, Kenny Ndebele, attended the event.
The guest of honour was Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.
Sunday Chidzambwa, Elvis “Chuchu” Chiweshe, Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya, Stanford “Stix” Mutizwa, Masimba Dinyero, Joseph Takaringofa, David George, Harlington Shereni and Justice Majabvi are some of the high-profile football legends, who graced the tournament.
Prophet Walter Magaya was also there and pledged to have his Premiership team Yadah play against the winners in an exhibition match which their coaches will use to select talented players for secondment at the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries side.
Online Reporter