adminJillian Shava Sports Reporter
THE National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) Mzilikazi District will hold a three-day ball games’ tournament starting today to select a district team for the provincial games scheduled for later date.
Ten schools will field teams to contest in the handball, netball and football events.
However, today will see only six schools competing in the boys’ and girls’ handball competition as the other four schools have not embraced the discipline.
Tomorrow 10 schools will battle it out for the Under-20 girls’ football event before clashing in the Under-20 netball contest.
Magwegwe, Sikhulile, Nkulumane, Mpopoma, Lobengula, Sizane, Ihlathi, Njube, Mandwandwe and Msiteli are the high schools set to battle for honours in the three-day tournament.
Shadreck Mlauzi, the convener sports director for Mzilikazi district said schools’ tournaments were a good way of getting young people involved in sport and this should not only end with Nash events.
“It would be a good thing for the district to have a schools’ league in which football development can be assessed. Just having 20-minute aside games does not showcase the players’ talent but compromises quality. This tournament gives us an opportunity to see what talent is being nurtured in different schools around the district,” said Mlauzi
Magwegwe High School won the 2014 district Under-20 girls’ football with Sikhulile High emerging second. This booked the two schools a place in the provincial games.
Magwegwe High sports director Lungile Ndlovu said there would be few changes in their formation with the introduction of new talented players.
“Our Under-17 team has just qualified for the provincial games and we’re happy that some girls in the Under-17 team will be playing for the Under-20 team. This will hopefully help us clinch the district title once again,” said Ndlovu.
Nkulumane High sports director Simbarashe Mudiwa told Chronicle Sport that his girls were excited and ready to compete against schools with established girls’ football such as Magwegwe High and Sikhulile High.
“Some of the girls here at Nkulumane also play for local clubs so they have quite some experience, which gives us confidence going into these games. The team is ready to compete with the likes of Magwegwe High and other schools,” said Mudiwa.
The schools have been drawn into three groups with two groups comprising three teams and the other one with four.
Winners of each group and the number two side in the group of four will go through to the semi-finals draw.
Venues
Wednesday: Handball (Njube High)
Thursday: Football (Sikhulile High, Mawaba Primary and Njube High)
Friday: Netball (Ihlathi High)
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