Kadema settles down in Germany

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
YOUNG Zimbabwean handball player Tineyi Kadema has now settled down in Germany where he is undergoing a month-long trial period with one of that country’s top professional clubs SG H2Ku Herrenberg.

Kadema (19) left Zimbabwe some two weeks ago for his trials with SG H2Ku Herrenberg, where he is looking at making the grade and become the first player from this country to sign a professional contract with a European handball club.

And at the weekend Kadema told The Herald from Herrenberg, a town in the middle of Baden-Württemberg, about 30km south of Stuttgart, that he has been warmly received by the Germans and has become “the darling” of SG H2Ku Herrenberg just two weeks after his arrival for the trial attachment.

He also said that the club’s officials have so far been “very” impressed by his skills and commitment to the game that they have offered to “do more business” with players from the Southern African region, especially those from Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“My stay here in Herrenberg has so far been good. Everyone at the club likes me and they are saying that they would now like to have a look at more players from the Southern African region, especially Zimbabweans and South Africans, because of what they’ve seen in my performance during the first two weeks of my trial period.”

In fact, SG H2Ku Herrenberg and Kadema have warmed up to each other that the German club is now in the process of extending his stay there and he might come back home in July.

Kadema, a former pupil of Churchill School in Harare, however, admitted that his first few days in Germany were difficult because of how the Germans play their own handball as compared to the Zimbabwean standards.

“Their handball and how they train is very much different from ours. I can see a big change and a big difference between Africa and Europe, especially here in Germany where everything is done with time and everyone is always on time

“Everything they do here is thorough and professional; and I have to be strong always but now I’m coping up . . . I’m sure I’m now up to their standard and I’m now training with their first team after having first trained with second and third teams upon my arrival here in Germany.

“They are also allowing me to coach their young players.

“German handball is just good and I’m quite determined to impress SG H2Ku Herrenberg coach, Nico Kiener, and I hope they will hand me my first professional contract at the end of my trial period,” Kadema said.

SG H2Ku Herrenberg is a syndicate of three German handball teams.

In fact, in 1990, a syndicate from the players of the TV Haslach was formed in the form of 1930 eV and the HSV Oberjesingen-Kuppingen eV stars in the youth handball field.

The youth team was a model of success and in 1993 was finally together with the handball division VfL Herrenberg eV SG Haslach Herrenberg Kuppingen-Oberjesingen GbR founded.

With approximately 1 300 members, the gaming community was renamed in June 2011 to SG H2Ku Herrenberg.

The SG of the Gäu is also successful in the men’s, women’s and youth handball. There are over 600 members in the youth field who are actively involved in playing handball.

And after he got befriended with some handball players from Herrenberg during their Bora Bola project in Cape Town, South Africa, in November last year, Kadema was invited to undergo a month-long trial period with this top German club, between April and May this year.

SG H2Ku Herrenberg, who are currently playing in the German Third League, are meeting all Kadema’s expenses, including accommodation and food, during his stay in Germany.

“This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to realise my dream of playing professional handball in Europe, especially in Germany which is not only one of the major powerhouses of the sport in Europe but in the whole world,” Kadema said.

He also said that if he manages to make the grade at SG H2Ku Herrenberg, this will see more doors being opened for other aspiring, young Zimbabwean handballers to move to Europe as the club has already indicated that they would like to have a look at more players from this part of the world.