daniel chigunwe
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
AWAY from cheering the Dynamos faithful after posting an impressive five wins on the trot, DeMbare coach Tonderai Ndiraya is also touching young underprivileged lives through football.
After a slow start in the Premiership marathon, which entered Week 10 over the weekend, Ndiraya has rolled over the script, winning five straight games and taking the Glamour Boys to just within a point of leaders Chicken Inn.
Even the crowds which were shunning the club’s home matches in the initial stages of the race are beginning to reemerge in numbers, thanks to the rich vein of form the team has struck.
While taking care of the country’s most successful team, Ndiraya has also bestowed himself with a key responsibility as he bids to play his own part in junior football development in this country.
In a country which has literally neglected grassroots enhancement, Ndiraya, a known junior development enthusiast, is determined to discover more Bill Antonios from the streets after donating football kits to over 100 kids from several teams in Harare’s high-density suburb of Mbare.
The former Warriors assistant coach had to briefly leave camp last Saturday as his team prepared for their derby clash with Black Rhinos a day later, to attend the tournament played in his honour at Shingirayi Primary School in Harare’s oldest suburb.
Ndiraya, who also made the same gesture in Norton late last year, got the kits from Derrick Williams, the founder of Kit Aid with the help of Pat Jefferson’s Youth in Sport Charity.
He is the brand ambassador of the charity and he has been moving around the country, including in rural areas such as Mhondoro, donating kits.
He is due to do the same in Wedza, Rusape and Chivhu in the coming few weeks.
“The aim is to help the growth of grassroots football.
“I am the brand ambassador for Youth in Sport Charity organisation and I am always sourcing equipment including kits for the juniors including, of course the girl child,” said Ndiraya.
“On Saturday we held a football gala in which over seven girls and boys teams participated. We managed to donate kits to all of those teams so as to inspire them to do even better.
“I am someone whose heart bleeds when it comes to junior development.
“I am a product of well-structured junior football leagues and I feel obliged to help in developing the juniors in some way.
“I was also coaching at schools and I also have junior players including Bill Antonio at my club. That means this area should not be neglected.
“I also donated some kits to different Norton academies last year and we intend to continue with the crusade going forward.”
The former Ngezi Platinum gaffer said the charity he represents is also encouraging him to visit the academies he would have given kits often.
“Obviously we cannot donate kits and then forget about those teams. We also make sure that we visit and give all the technical support to them so that they remain focused.
“I am very happy to be working with a professional charity like this.”
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