adminAubrey Tenadi Kamba : On the point
THE main purpose of this insertion is to teach you Gentle Reader about the basics of the gentleman’s game of cricket as well as bring the game closer to the people.True to that, this week I have decided to divert a bit from the laws of the game and delve into the profile of one Mutare’s most celebrated cricketer.
Some might ask why I have to write about cricket. It is because for me it is the most beautiful sport in the world. Today, I will focus on a young lad I taught in high school. This kid is such an inspiration to all the kids who live in the southern suburbs of Mutare in Dangamvura. He grew up like any other kid in the Dangamvura area.
1) He played other sports more than cricket in high school. Popularly known as Chats, he played basketball as a high school student more than he played cricket. He also did a lot of sprint athletics doing 200m and did semi long distance in 400m. He also turned out for his home province in athletics.
2) Tendai Chatara did not go to a traditional cricket school. ‘’Chats’’ went from Dangamvura Primary School to Dngamvura High School ‘’like an eagle we shall mount’’. Unlike many cricketers in the country who go to the former Group A schools or to Allied Trust Schools, he used the dusty streets of Dangamvura as his practice ground for in and out swingers.
3) U17 tourney welcomes ‘’Chats’’. He happened to undergo the Under-17 trials wearing basketball sneakers, but managed to break into the team. This tournament was to be his springboard to success as the tournament saw him being considered for many other festivals that followed and he eventually got picked up for the Zimbabwe U-19 team for the World Cup.
4) Dangamvura the home of Zimbabwe representatives. Dangamvura has produced a lot of national representatives in almost all the sports that are popular in this country. From Genius Chidzikwe in tennis, Moses Muyambo in basketball, Liberty Ndadzungira in soccer, Ngoni Chibuwe in rugby, however, ‘’Chats’’ was the 1st person to represent Zimbabwe in cricket from Dangamvura. It is this neighborhood that “Chats” calls home. Still walking or driving on the first training grounds he had as a kid which is the dusty streets of Dangamvura.
5) Humility is him in person. He still resides in Dangamvura inspiring the young boys and girls with his story of representing one’s own country no matter were you come from.
He was the youngest player on the Zimbabwe team at the last world cup in Australia.
He has managed to take care of his parents in the besat way any humble child would have done.
His story should be told in all schools and streets in manicaland and the country as a whole.
He recently returned from a long year injury to play for the national side and showed us why he is the best at what he does by giving us some world class bowling. Tendai Chatara you still remain an inspiration to us all….’’CHEVRONS MOTO’’
Aubrey Farai Kamba is an English and Communications student at Africa University. He can be contacted on 0778712404
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