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Grace Chingoma Senior Sports Reporter
THE year 2019 witnessed a number of highs and lows in sport in Zimbabwe, but the biggest blow was when death robbed the fraternity of current and yesteryear athletes and administrators.
The year began on a high note following the qualification of the Warriors to their fourth Africa Cup of Nations finals held in Egypt.
However, the qualification was somewhat thrown a damper after a fan died at the National Sports Stadium before kick-off of the last qualifying match which Zimbabwe won 2-0 against Congo Brazzaville.
A Warriors fan Egna Nyamadzawo died at the National Sports Stadium on March 24 in a stampede.
The 38-year-old woman was trapped for minutes after a gate collapsed and was crushed by a human wave as scores of fans powered into the stadium.
The deceased was accompanied by her husband who had just arrived from South Africa at the invitation of his wife.
Nyamadzawo had already secured the tickets for the blockbuster match, but as fate would have it, she met her death in the most unfortunate way.
Football stakeholders in the country led by ZIFA president Felton Kamambo and the founding father of the Zimbabwe Soccer Supporters Association, Eddie “Mboma” Nyatanga, converged at the Nyamadzawo homestead in Domboshawa to bid farewell to the deceased fan.
The game of football then lost a finest administrator — ZIFA Northern Region Division One league chairman Willard Manyengavana — who passed on on August 5.
The 52-year-old administrator collapsed at a local gym during a morning aerobics class and was rushed to the Avenues Clinics where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Premier Soccer League chairman Farai Jere described Manyengavana as a “passionate, selfless and dedicated soldier of football.’’
“This is a big loss to Zimbabwean football at large, a big loss to CAPS United and the CAPS United family because he had been with CAPS United since 2004,” he said then.
The game of football went on to lose one of their yesteryear greats Hamid “Mzukuru” Dhana who passed on September 29 at his Braeside home in Harare.
The football legend, who was 61, passed on after a long battle with cancer. The former Dynamos, Arcadia United and Black Rhinos midfielder was diagnosed with colon cancer three years ago.
Dhana was cremated and his ashes were buried at his mother’s grave at Warren Hills.
Veteran sportscaster Charles Mabika said football was the biggest loser following the death of Dhana.
“It is a shock to me because he seemed to be on the mend. Football is a loser. He was one of the finest midfielders this country has ever produced.
“He was a jovial fellow. I remember him during the Warriors’ trips, he was always cracking jokes.
“My deepest condolences to the Dhana family, his football legacy will live forever.
“Dhana will forever be remembered for his unique and mesmerising swivel, with the ball firmly under control, followed by a defence-splitting pass to set up the likes of Gift “Ghetto” Mpariwa or Oliver Kateya,” Mabika said.
A moving funeral service united the domestic football family at Danny Bismarck as the game gave a fitting public farewell to legendary midfielder Hamid “Muzukuru” Dhana.
On August 22, former Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, Peter Chingoka, died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare after suffering from a combination of hypertension and kidney problems.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said his death was sad news for cricket world.
“Chingoka had a long career as a cricket administrator, including as the president of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (as Zimbabwe Cricket was called then) from 1992 to 2014, where he assumed the title of chairman in 2001 and significantly contributed to the game’s development across Africa.
“He also was a member of the ICC Board during that time.
“The death of Mr Chingoka is sad news for the cricket world. He was widely acknowledged as an important leader in cricket in Zimbabwe and was a respected member of the ICC Board. It was with great sadness that we learnt of his death,” read the ICC statement.
Zimbabwean sport was again plunged into mourning on October 21 when news filtered in that Artwell Mandaza, the greatest sprinter to emerge from the country who once ran a world-record equalling 9,9 seconds in the 100m, had died.
He was 73.
The “Mhangura Meteor”, as Mandaza was affectionately known, rose to fame in 1970 when he ran a world record-equalling time of 9,9s in the 100 metres at the South African Bantu Championships in Welkom.
Although not recognised, that time was the world’s joint fastest along that of Cuba’s Pablo Montes. But the official best time attached to the Zimbabwean in the 100m was 10,2s which put him as the 11th fastest athlete in the world in the same year.
He was voted the Sportsperson of the Year that very year, becoming the first black person to win the honour. This is the same year he broke the 100m, 200m and 400m records.
Mandaza, born January 4, 1946, never took athletics seriously until he was 20 when Mhangura Mine coach Dave Klinker spotted him. In 1972, Mandaza was sent for an attachment in Germany and qualified for the Olympics held in Munich.
Unfortunately, politics put paid to his dreams of participating in Munich as Zimbabwe was excluded from the fiesta following a vote by the International Olympic Committee.
One of the episodes Mandaza will be remembered for was when he was involved in a race against a horse at Borrowdale Race Course in 1983.
Interestingly, by then, he had already quit active athletics and coaching at Trojan Mine when he decided to race Hi Chester, a juvenile champion.
Hi Chester was ridden by Gordon Whyte and the event also acted as a fundraiser for Team Zimbabwe headed for the Los Angeles Olympics the following year.
A Teenage Zimbabwean footballer, Cedric Dube, collapsed during a league match in Bulawayo on October 21 and died.
He was 18 and was playing for Division Three side Talen Vision.
Cedric was a pupil at Mpopoma High School.
He collapsed during a league match between his team and Bulawayo City at the Barbourfields B Arena.
The footballer was in the middle of writing his Ordinary Level examinations and had already sat for two subjects out of the seven he had registered.
Dube played for the ambitious Talen Vision, a Division Three side in the Bulawayo Province, which serves as the feeder to the Division One club.
His father said the post mortem results indicated that he was asthmatic.
Sport was also robbed of a veteran administrator on August 19, when Danhiko Project deputy director, Godfrey Majonga, passed on.
He was 62.
Majonga was also the chairperson for the Danhiko Paralympic Games.
The Sports Commission said his death was a blow to sport.
“Godfrey was a versatile Sports Administrator who undoubtedly and unquestionably championed Sport for people living with a disability with immeasurable passion and vigour.
“The growth of the Danhiko Annual Paralympic Games was largely as a result of his immense contribution.
“Godfrey was also a past Sports and Recreation Commission board member and it was during his tenure that the idea of the Zimbabwe National Paralympic Games was consummated as a way of encouraging people living with a disability to actively participate in sporting activities of their choice.”
Online Reporter