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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
THE event is pregnant.
Officially opened by a giant – Zimpapers’ Board Chairperson, Tommy Sithole.
And officially closed by another giant – Zimpapers Group Chief Executive Officer, Pikirai Deketeke.
The occasion is bumper. Hefty.
Twelve social football teams pitch up.
They are pooled into four groups of three each. They battle it out for supremacy on two lush pitches at the Old Mutual Sports Club for the rest of Saturday.
The 12th man, including the famous Gule Wamkulu (Zvigure/Nyawo), provides a befitting soundtrack.
And ZTN Prime (DStv Channel 294) broadcast every inch of the proceedings.
A first for a boozers’ tournament.
And for a good reason too.
It’s the Zimpapers ZTN Prime Charity football tournament.
The proceeds are meant to help out the Kapota School for the Blind.
The Masvingo-based institution lost their principal and his deputy in a car accident recently and the situation at the school is close to dire.
The plight touches Zimpapers.
The latter are no strangers to bankrolling or participating in charitable events.
“Congratulations to all of you who participated in this inaugural Prime Charity football tournament. I am humbled that you have all come to participate for the cause,” said Deketeke.
“The goal is to support the Kapota School for the Blind. “This is not the end of it, but the beginning of the next phase.”
The beauty about the occasion is that even local scouts find time to sniff for talent at a tournament that isn’t short on impressive youngsters.
Actually, a 17-year-old Assa Mushamba from runners-up Toobs FC was named the Player of the Tournament after serenading the whole day.
Mushamba, blessed with a huge yet athletic body, is already being pursued by some top-flight teams some of which had sent emissaries at the event.
Of course, it was Mabvuku United who came out tops after beating Toobs 2-0 in a gripping final characterised by top-notch football elements on display.
But the truth is that all of the teams won for the tournament was a resounding success.
The motive behind the tournament was a success too.
Zimpapers fielded a team which showed a lot of potential despite crashing out in the group stages from a pool won by PanJap Motors.
The journalists displayed some good football skills and a great understanding of the game but they rarely play together.
They last had a formidable team before the coming of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019.
And predictably they lacked endurance but there was no doubting their quality.
Even Deketeke was impressed with what he saw and from a Covid-19 enforced break, Zimpapers FC are now officially back in the local social football panorama.
Star FM, Impala Car Rental, ZLG, Power Master, Proton Bakers, Timely Toolbox, AFC Holdings, Old Mutual and Viego are the other teams which participated in the tournament.
Proton Bakers chief marketing officer, Daniel Chipato, who also played as a midfielder for his team, saluted the Zimpapers’ initiative.
“As Proton Bakers, we saw it fit to participate in a worthy tournament organised by Zimpapers. This is a good initiative by the Group to try and raise funds for a vulnerable group in the society,” said Chipato.
“We are ready to support any worthy event organised by Zimpapers. As Proton Bakers, we believe in a society where people should support each other.
“We have built our brand through the support of others and we are always ready to chip in where we can to see the next person afford a smile.”
Two Castle Lager Premier Soccer League teams – Herentals and Simba Bhora – were scheduled to play in a showcase match to put the icing on the cake on Saturday.
But some communication hiccups meant they had to pull out to avoid clashing with the PSL.
Nevertheless, both teams, who have assembled some of the strongest teams ahead of the 2023 season, each contributed to the charitable cause.
Online Reporter