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Sports Reporter
AFTER having been unceremoniously elbowed out as president of the Zimbabwe Handball Federation a couple of years ago, a lot of people thought Amon Madzvamuse would not have anything to do with any kind of sport in this country.
But as an avid sports lover that he has ever been, Madzvamuse did not lose heart and surprisingly bounced back as the boss of the newly-formed Zimbabwe Cestoball Association who launched the new sport at Allan Wilson High School in Harare on Wednesday last week.
Cestoball is a team sport that is very similar to that of netball and it originated in Argentina in the late 19th century. The sport is very popular in Argentina and is mostly played by women at a school level.
The sport is played both indoors and outdoors, and it is very common to see games being played on basketball courts. Two standalone net posts with baskets are stationed on the courts within the playing area. Players are free to move behind the net posts. The ball used is similar to that of a handball.
A match is played between two six-player teams in two 20-minute periods. Two players each must always be present in both the back-court and the front-court at all times failing which results in a penalty. The objective of the sport is to score as many goals as possible by shooting the ball through the hoop. Players are not allowed to run with the ball. Balls have to be passed to move it up field.
Goals can be scored by shooting the ball from anywhere in the field. A field goal, which is shot during regular play, is awarded two points, and free throws carry one point. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
And on Wednesday last week, Madzvamuse, who recently returned from a cestoball workshop which was held in Bangalore, India, promised to take cestoball to greater heights in this country.
“When I was approached to introduce and lead cestoball in this country last year, I was initially reluctant to take this role but as a sports-lover, I took it as a challenge and I decided to lead the crusade and bring this exciting sport to Zimbabwe.
“And when I went for the cestoball workshop in Bangalore towards the end of last year, I got the opportunity to learn more about this exciting sport and I’m determined to make it one of the biggest sporting disciplines in Zimbabwe in the not-too-distant-future.
“So, the first thing is to introduce cestoball to young kids at school level and then come up with a league system which will obviously give birth to both men’s and women’s national teams at junior and senior level, which is all part of our 10-year development programme,” Madzvamuse said.
The association is yet to get clearance from NASH and NAPH for them to start playing cestoball at school level but Madzvamuse said they are expecting schools to start playing the sport during the second term this year.
Madzvamuse also explained how the two six-player team game is played and how the sport differ with its sister sport handball.
“Cestoball is a 40-minute game six-a-side game and unlike handball or basketball, you don’t bounce the ball but throw it into a basket.”
Madzvamuse was also full of praise of the Sports Commission and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for allowing the association to introduce a sport code that is not only new in Zimbabwe but also in Africa.
“I would like to thank the Sports Commission and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as they allowed the sport to be introduced in schools and as an association we found that cestoball is an affordable sport that can also be afforded by schools in the rural areas.” School teachers who were present at last Wednesday’s launch of cestoball at Allan Wilson High School welcomed the sport as they viewed the introduction of new sports to school children as a good thing unlike just keep teaching the pupils old sports.
“It is a good thing to invent new things for the pupils unlike the old and usual sports, and the school is willing to go an extra mile to upkeep the sport,” said Ngoni Mhonda of Houghton Park Primary School in Harare.
“It’s a good sport considering the fact that it’s something new for the kids and unlike netball, it also incorporates boys and the equipment is also affordable,” said Divine Samushonga from Prince Edward High School.
Online Reporter