Chronicle Editor
Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE international Marvelous Nakamba has left the doors open for corporate partners as well as like-minded community members in the construction of his Marvelous Nakamba Foundation (MNF) multi-sports facility.
At the beginning of 2020, Nakamba applied for land from the Bulawayo City Council to build a facility that will help develop young talent and share life skills with youths.
The local authority granted the Aston Villa midfielder a lease to construct his multi-sports facility on a 5,1-hectare piece of land in Mahatshula South suburb in Bulawayo in September 2020.
The sports centre is under the MNF that the English Premiership footie registered and manages part of his way of giving back to the local community by creating a platform for youth development and life skills capacitation.
The foundation wants youths to follow in the footsteps of Nakamba, who at the age of 15, landed his first professional football contract with Bantu Rovers FC.
Driven by the desire to make a positive influence on youths, the foundation seeks to benefit young footballers in Bulawayo, irrespective of club affiliation.
The foundation desires to hold periodic localised, regional and international sports training camps at the facility once completed.
The first step in making the multi-sports facility a reality took off yesterday with a low-key groundbreaking event that saw earthmovers moving in to clear the land and prepare it for construction.
At the end of the first phase, the foundation will erect a perimeter wall.
“Resources pooled together so far will go towards completion of phase one. We can’t say when the project will be completed as it will all depend on availability of resources after evaluation of the first phase. As this development is happening in the Bulawayo community, this multi-sports facility will be a hub for the nation and region at large.
“For that reason, MNF can’t go it alone, we will have partners, corporate or
individuals, who share the same dream of setting up a base for future stars,” said MNF in a statement.
When completed, the multi-purpose sports complex will have football fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, volleyball pitch, swimming pool, changing rooms, sitting area and a parking area.
Two buildings will be constructed on the site to house administration offices, a restaurant, gymnasium, conference centre and a medical bay.
Nakamba, who is in the country during the English Premiership off-season, was excited to see the project taking off.
“I’m excited that finally we get to action plans that have been on pen and paper for a long time. Credit goes to the City of Bulawayo for the support and encouragement that has led us to this stage.
“It has always been my dream to have a state-of-the-art facility that our youngsters will enjoy to use, something that we didn’t grow up having.
“It’s high time we give back to the community,” Nakamba said. — @ZililoR
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