Online Reporter
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
THE 2025 edition of the exciting Mlilo Trophy kicks off today (Friday) in the farming town of Chipinge, featuring Under-16 boys and girls, competing in various sporting disciplines, including football, netball, handball, volleyball, and chess.
This year’s games will be held at three venues – Gaza Stadium, Matione Primary School, and Gaza High School.
A total of 17 schools will participate in the competition, among them Chibuwe High School, New Horizon College, Chivhunze SecondarySchool, Gaza High School, Checheche High School, Greenlight Academy, Higher Achievers Academy, St Kelvin Secondary School, Jersey Secondary School, Sunrise Academy, Mafumise High School, Musani Secondary School, Bumba Secondary School, Rutengeni Secondary School, and Mayfield Secondary School.
Since its inception with just five participating teams competing in football and netball, the Mlilo Trophy has experienced significant growth.
Founder and financier, Innocent Mlilo, a member of the ZIFA district structures, said the competition’s primary objective is to combat drug and substance abuse, as well as provide a platform for talent identification.
“As someone who has always been passionate about sports, particularly football, I have been actively involved in supporting various sporting disciplines. However, the main goal of this competition is to contribute to the fight against drug and substance abuse, a national problem that also affects Chipinge.
“Through this competition, we aim to encourage school-going youths to appreciate the value of participating in sporting activities. Additionally, we hope to provide a platform for talent identification, and scouts from across the country are welcome to attend,” said Mlilo.
Winners in each discipline will receive a full kit, trophy, and medals, while runners-up will receive two balls per discipline.
The competition comes at a time when Chipinge is struggling with sports development, including rundown sporting infrastructure such as Gaza Stadium, which was once a source of pride for locals.
