adminTobias Mandoreba Hwange Correspondent
THE National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) has sent out an urgent SOS to the corporate world to chip in with sponsorship to ensure a longer camp by the Zimbabwe athletics team ahead of the Confederation of Schools Sports Association of Southern Africa (COSSASA) competitions to be held in Botswana at the end of this month.
The national team was selected in Hwange last week during the Nestle Zimbabwe sponsored Naph track and field championships held at the Colliery Stadium.
Speaking in a telephone interview from his base in Harare, the national Head-in-Charge of athletics, Enias Nhoro, urged the corporate world to urgently chip in with funds to enable the team to camp for a longer period to ensure success in Gaborone this month.
“I am sending this urgent SOS to the corporate world around the country to urgently assist us with funds so that we have a longer camp. As it is now, we are camping from the April 13 up to April 22, 2014 which is very short for any meaningful preparations.
“We are more than ready to adjust the camping period backwards should we get the funds even today. This is not a Naph baby but a national issue hence I am appealing to companies and even individuals to come together for a worthy cause,” appealed Nhoro.
He said at least $25,000 is needed for a three-week camping period which would ensure the country defends the Cossasa title won on home soil when the Games were held in Harare last year.
“The various stakeholders should assist in such issues of national interest not just to wait and criticise when things go wrong so it is my fervent hope that our plea will land on people with a passion for sports and the country at large,” Nhoro said.
Naph president Cynthia Khumalo, who is the head at Chinotimba Primary School in Victoria Falls, added her voice on the matter.
“We are really crying for help as far as this trip is concerned. We need things like track suits, running vests, takkies etc besides the food in camp so as media, kindly highlight to the nation our plight so that the boys and girls will fly the country’s flag high in Botswana,” she said.
The present arrangements will see the national athletics team leave for Botswana by road on April 22, for the Games to held at the University of Botswana Stadium from April 23-27.
If the level of competition exhibited at the Colliery Stadium last week is anything to go by, then Zimbabwe should give a huge fight to defend their title but lots of competition will come from countries like host nation Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia, Lesotho and Swaziland who are also taking part.
A total of 45 athletes, who excelled last week in a competition won by Mashonaland West, are travelling to Botswana.
Online Reporter