adminCollin Matiza in HAMBURG, Germany
ZIMBABWE has been urged to invest heavily in the development of their junior players if they are to become one of the top handball-playing nations in Africa and in the world.A top German handball coach and administrator Rene Pagel said for this to happen, the Zimbabwe Handball Association must also come up with a proper and professional club system which will accommodate these young players.
Speaking to The Herald, on the sidelines of a special training programme designed for four young Zimbabwean female players — Anesu Bonomali, Anastancia Manuwere, Charmaine Gororo and Winnie Machipisa — by a top Germany handball club, BSV Bramfelder SV, Pagel said more coaches must be trained to handle these junior players.
“If you look at us here in Germany, we are one of the major handball powerhouses, not only in Europe but in the whole world, because of a sound junior policy and a professional club system that is in place.
“Here in Germany, we have a population of 82 million people and guess what, handball is the second most popular sport in this country after football, of course, but for it (handball) to be where it is today, it’s because of a sound junior policy and a club system that is in place.
“Every kid here in Germany — boy or girl — wants to play handball and the sport is played almost everywhere in this country and what we have also is a professional club system which is always ready and available to absorb these thousands and thousands of kids from the Under-10 age-group until they turn into senior players and professionals,” Pagel said.
Germany has 19 teams that play in their senior Bundesliga, which is as popular as the football top-flight league.
“But for you (Zimbabwe) to come up with a similar set-up, you have to first identify proper people with a sound background who will run this sport (of handball in your country).
“You need people who have played the sport before, who have a passion for it, to lead you at the highest level. Then you also have to identify and train coaches who will first work with the junior players at grassroots level and have a proper club system in place because these kids must then be fed into these clubs from the junior level, playing for different age-groups at these clubs until they become fully-fledged professional players.
“But the most important thing here is also to educate the parents of these kids about the importance of playing sport and then make sure that you get them involved in the running of this sport at any level and this helps in generating interest in the game as well.
“Remember, sport is now big business and has become a source of employment in the world,” Pagel said.
At the present moment, handball is being played at a lower level in Zimbabwe where there’s no proper club system in place but Pagel said this can be overcome if all the stakeholders put their heads together and come up with a vibrant junior development policy.
Online Reporter