Chronicle Editor
Descent Dube, Sports Reporter
THE ORAP Zenzele Isuzu Champion Cup kicked off at Gifford High School on Thursday and is expected to continue throughout the weekend as part of youth development through sport.
The annual event organisers are Orap and Autoworld, under their Isuzu brand.
Orap chief executive officer (CEO) Mvuselelo Huni said the organisers are committed to investing in youth because sport builds confidence among young people and teaches teamwork.
“This is our 6th edition and we have eight girls’ teams and eight boys’ teams.
“The objective is to promote youth development through sport and we are excited to bring together teams from different parts of Matabeleland to play against each other and interact,” said Huni.
She said the tournament seeks to inspire and produce role models who will show resilience and be able to overcome challenges.
“We believe they gain a new perspective about themselves and their country when they meet students from other areas.
“The tournament gives us a chance to highlight that the private sector of Bulawayo is interested in investing in rural development and we have a long list of over 20 sponsors from the private sector,” Huni said.
She said the tournament gives young people a platform to overcome challenges and give them more visibility hence the investment in young people.
“Because soccer is a male-dominated sport with a few women making it to big platforms, we urge our girl children to pursue their football dreams by taking their games just as seriously as we do the boys.
“We need to ensure young women can thrive in a fair environment that will always provide equal opportunities. Sport is a powerful tool to achieve a gender equal society,” Huni said. — @DecoDecent2
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