adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
AFTER having successfully completed a three-week tour of Hamburg, Germany, in April this year, the Mashrhino handball select side from the Mashonaland West Province in Zimbabwe are looking at embarking on a similar mission next year.
In April this year, a Mashrhino boys and girls select team made history when they became the first team from outside Europe to compete in the Hanse Cup during their three-week tour of Hamburg where they were hosted by the Hamburger Handball Association.
The Hanse Cup is one of Europe’s biggest youth handball tournaments held annually during April and it is designed for the Under-15 to 17 age-groups for both boys and girls; and it was mainly restricted to top junior club sides from Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Sweden and the hosts Germany.
But the organisers of this tournament, TSG Bergedorf of Hamburg, Germany, this year broke with tradition when they invited the Mashrhino boys and girls select team from Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province to take part in this event which is staged annually during the Easter Holidays.
And after having tasted the excitement that goes with playing and participating in the Hanse Cup, the Mashonaland West Handball Association, who pick the Mashrhino select team, have indicated that they would like to take part in the same tournament in April next year.
Alfos Mhondiwa, the vice-chairman of the Mashonaland West Handball Association, said plans are already afoot to send a boys Under-16 team and a girls Under-15 side to next year’s Hanse Cup.
“In fact, we have already selected a Mashrhino select team of 20 boys and 26 girls whom we would like to go and represent Zimbabwe at next year’s Hanse Cup in Hamburg, Germany. The players have been selected from several primary and high schools from the Mashonaland West Province.
“Mashonaland West is now the hub of handball’s junior development programme in Zimbabwe and that is why we have managed to select a strong team of more than 40 players for this trip to Germany in April next year.
“We will soon come up with a fund-raising committee as we are looking at raising more than $50 000 for this project and we are more than hopeful that all our key stakeholders in the Mashonaland West Province will help us to raise this money before April next year,” Mhondiwa said.
Apart from competing in the Hanse Cup, the Mashrhino select team are also expected to undergo a 10-day training programme which will also be co-ordinated by the Hamburger Handball Association in April next year.
Online Reporter