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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
TWO years after it was frozen out by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Proton Bakeries and Surrey Group-sponsored national Under-20 boys football tournament makes a return next month. The annual competition, which was first launched in 2017, had taken a sabbatical due to the epidemic.
But with things slowly getting back to normal, the two Marondera-headquartered companies yesterday unveiled a US$20 000 package for this year’s event.
The tournament is scheduled to kick-start in September when schools reopen with the finals provisionally expected to take place at Kwekwe High School during the first week of October. The last edition’s finals were held at Marondera High School in October 2019 with Rusununguko High emerging as the champions.
Proton Bakeries chief marketing officer, Daniel Chipato, said the tournament was expected to produce fireworks.
“As Proton Bakeries, we take great satisfaction in sponsoring grassroots football development where our future stars will come from,” said Chipato.
“We have decided to partner, together with Surrey Group, the NASH in sponsoring this event again. We call upon the relevant authorities to help in curbing out age-cheating practices in the tournament.
“The tournament continues to grow in leaps and bounds and we will continue with this marriage which has produced some footballers who are now plying their trade with big teams in the Premiership.”
Former players, who attended the launch who include former CAPS United captain David Sengu, More Moyo and Norman Maroto, hailed the sponsors for their initiative.
Maroto, who together with Moyo won the 2009 league championship with Gunners, is a direct product of the NASH Under-20 tournament.
“I am a beneficiary of this tournament. These are the initiatives which we always call for. Football starts from the base and it is a systematic process hence the coming in of tournaments like this is a welcome move,” said Maroto. “We should be able to support initiatives like this if we want to see football developing in this country.”
Sengu, who captained the double-title-winning CAPS United class of 2004 and 2005, echoed the same sentiments with Moyo also condemning age-cheating. NASH president, Arthur Maphosa, promised to come down heavily on perpetrators of age-cheating.
Online Reporter