Tendai Gukutikwa
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FAR from their well-documented academic milestones, Mutare Polytechnic was the toast of the just-ended Tertiary Education Sports Association of Zimbabwe (TESAZ) games played at Harare Polytechnic.
The college harvested a whopping 13 gold medals – the highest achieved among the 12 tertiary institutions – having won in football, basketball, table tennis (men), table tennis, handball, chess, darts (women), karate and five gold medals in athletics.
Apart from the massive 13 gold medals, Mutare Polytechnic also scooped bronze in lawn tennis, six silver and bronze medals in athletics; silver in netball, volleyball, pool and rugby (women).
Mutare Polytechnic’s sports director, Simbarashe Chahweta commended the college leadership and participants for their dedication and solidarity during the TESAZ competition.
“As pacesetters, Mutare Polytechnic has demonstrated excellence, with our teams securing an impressive 13 gold medals, six silver medals, and eight bronze medals. This outstanding achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and talent of our students and coaches.
“As sports director, I am thrilled to see our teams excel and bring glory to our institution. This remarkable performance showcases the excellence and potential of our students, and we are excited to build on this momentum in future competitions,” he said, attributing the success to the collective efforts of the principal, college staff, coaches, trainers, and support staff.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all medallists, coaches, and the sports fraternity for this phenomenal achievement,” he said, emphasising Mutare Polytechnic’s commitment to promoting health and wellness through various sporting activities.
“This achievement brings pride to our institution and demonstrates the importance of sports in shaping our students’ minds and characters. We will continue investing in our sports programmes, providing resources and support for our students to excel, both on and off the field,” he said.
Tertiary institutions under the TESAZ banner from around the country annually compete in various sporting disciplines and this year’s edition of the games was held in Harare.
This year, 12 colleges – Harare Polytechnic, Gweru Polytechnic, Bulawayo Polytechnic, School of Mines, Kushinga Pikelela, Westgate, Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, Kwekwe Polytechnic, Masvingo Polytechnic, TelOne, Masasa Vocational and Mutare Polytechnic – made up the list of participants at the TESAZ Games – straddling football, netball, athletics, basketball, darts, pool, and table tennis.
Winners will proceed to participate at the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union (ZTISU) Games in Bulawayo where NUST University will be hosting the Games from June 23 to 28.
ZTISU incorporates the Zimbabwe Universities Sports Association (ZUSA), Zimbabwe Technical Colleges Sports Association (TESAZ) and Zimbabwe Teachers’ Colleges Sport Association.
Online Reporter