Secondary schools’ sport returns

Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

NATIONAL Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) president Arthur Maphosa says they have given schools the green light for the full resumption of secondary schools sports for the upcoming school term that begins next Monday.

Schools sport had resumed in mid-June last year after a lengthy two-year break. However, it emerged that not a single district and province had managed to vaccinate 70 percent of the learners as required by the Ministry of Health and Child Care leading to yet another halt.

As the new term approaches, Maphosa has indicated that this time they are satisfied that the environment is now safe for sport to go on in schools.

“We are happy with the resumption of sport in schools. We would like to confirm that schools can go ahead with their sporting activities.

“One thing the return of sport solves is the issue of indiscipline. These learners are young and energetic. Once you stop them from taking part in sport they misplace their energy and get involved in the wrong trends which leads to them being indisciplined and a menace not only in society but at school as well. I can say for now it’s all systems go in terms of resumption,” said Maphosa.

In the new curriculum, sport constitutes a bigger part of extracurricular activities that aid a learner’s aptitude.
Schools’ sport plays a huge role as a talent nurturing ground and feeder system for the country’s professional sporting disciplines.

National schools’ competitions have over the years been a good ground for talent identification and some have ended up in professional ranks locally and abroad.

However, most budding sportspersons’ dreams have been shattered by the pandemic in the past two-and-a-half years during which schools sport has been frozen.

National competitions such as the Copa Coca-Cola football tournament, Nash and National Association of Primary Heads athletics competitions have been a stepping stone for a number of successful sports persons in the country.

Missing out in such events may have frustrated some young talent to give up sport altogether. — @innocentskizoe.