Chronicle Editor
Nkosilathi Sibanda
THE city of Victoria Falls will this week play host to the Matabeleland North inter-district National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) ball games finals and more than 500 athletes will compete for the provincial honours.
The competition will be the spotlight in the resort city from July 18 to July 21.
Action will be at Baobab and Mkhosana Primary Schools where teams will compete in basketball, football, handball, netball and volleyball.
Athletes are also set to present mass displays and other physical education contests, adding a bit of flavour to the tournament. This year’s games are themed: ‘Promoting Quality Education Through Sport’.
From these games, the province will select teams that will compete at national level in Harare at a date to be announced.
Teams from the Bubi, Umguza, Hwange, Tsholotsho, Lupane, Nkayi and Binga districts are expected to arrive in Victoria Falls on Tuesday and Naph Matabeleland North secretary-general Nelson Masukume has said all is set fo the the games.
As the district teams converge, traditional powerhouses will be out to take the victory again.
Bubi district’s volleyball side and Hwange’s football team are among the favourites.
“We are at an advanced stage of preparations and all the seven districts of Matabeleland are meeting in Victoria Falls,” said Masukume.
The games theme, as Masukume explained, was chosen so as to inculcate values of national identity and belonging in the young players, who are still at junior school level.
“The games’ theme resonates with the updated schools’ curriculum which demads among other virtues, the issue of skills acquisition, identity and behaviour.
“We are aiming at transforming sport performance in Matabeleland North and as such we also want our players to be proud of their identity as Zimbabweans. Good behaviour accounts for a good career in sport. Sport is now part of the curriculum and as they play, they learn,” said Masukume.
The Naph Matabeleland North secretariat thanked companies that have over the years supported sport in the province.
Masukume said although they are grateful for the support, the provincial team still needed a lot.
He said assistance would be welcome especially as they assemble the provincial team that is going to compete at national level in Harare.
Matabeleland North schools are confident they will build a “winning” team.
The province has occupied the bottom spot for years in national competitions but is confident this year the story will be different.
In order to try and reverse this, Naph has sent some teachers to coaching clinics to improve their coaching skills.
Online Reporter