Online Reporter
Sports Reporter
WIESLAW Grabowski’s friend had one last question to the world yesterday as scores of mourners gathered in Katowice for his burial ceremony in Poland.
It was a fitting question: ‘How do you sum up a life like this?’
The question was posed by Paweł Juchniewicz, a football manager and coach, who worked with Grabowski.
“How do you sum up a life like this? A life that connected Zabrze with Harare.
“Polish football grounds with African stadiums. Young dreams with professional football.
“Wiesław Grabowski was a coach, a national team manager, a teacher, a talent scout and a mentor. Above all, he was an extraordinary human being.”
Grabowski is credited with identifying and nurturing a generation of some of Zimbabwe’s best footballers.
Marshall Gore, a UK-based football administrator, flew from his base to represent the Zimbabwean football family at the burial ceremony today.
He addressed the mourners and conveyed condolences from Zimbabweans, in general, and the country’s football community, in particular.
Kudakwashe Kanhutu, a former player at Grabowski’s club Darryn T, also attended the burial ceremony.
Yolanda Karichi, the daughter of former Herald sports correspondent Richard Karichi, was also at the burial ceremony.
“We gather today in the Cathedral in Katowice to say goodbye to an exceptional man,” said Pawel.
“His family asked me to deliver this farewell. I was one of his players and students, which makes this both a great honour and a great responsibility.
“Wherever he went, he had the remarkable ability to make people feel at ease.
“He knew Presidents, FIFA and UEFA officials, leading coaches and journalists, yet he always found time for the young player whom everyone else overlooked.
“He had charisma, a sharp mind, a wonderful sense of humour and the rare gift of turning strangers into friends within minutes.”
He added:
“His journey led from Zabrze, through Warsaw, the coaching staff of Jacek Gmoch and the renowned Sports University in Cologne, all the way to Africa.
“He never waited for opportunities – he created them through hard work, knowledge and determination.
“In 1983, he became the coach of the Zambia national team. Two years later, Zimbabwe became his second home. There, he became known as ‘our man in Africa.’
“As journalist Stefan Szczepłek once wrote, Wiesław was a Polish coach who was more famous in Africa than in Poland.
“In Zimbabwe, he coached the national team on four occasions, served as a director of the football federation and founded both a football club and an academy.”
He said in Grabowski’s world, trophies were not everything that mattered.
“Federation. His achievements included winning the Zimbabwe Cup in 1992 with Darryn Textiles and leading Zimbabwe’s Under-23 national team to the silver medal at the 1995 African Games.
“But for Wiesław, trophies were never the greatest measure of success. People were.
“He once said ‘in Africa, a coach must be everything – from a kit man to a psychologist.’ That was exactly who he was. He organised training. Equipment. Food. School. Travel. Contracts.
“But above all, he taught life through football. Discipline. Responsibility. Humility. Courage. Respect.
“Although he had no children of his own, today hundreds of players and coaches feel they have lost a father and a mentor.
“He gave people much more than football. He gave them confidence, opportunity and hope.”
