Online Reporter
Lovemore Dube, [email protected]
“OURS is about the child.”
That describes what Sobukhazi High School stands for under Cain Ncube, staff and the parents.
Ncube was yesterday a very happy man, realising a dream, shaping up that Sobukhazi must offer a wider curriculum to accommodate the needs of the community.
Not every child who goes to school is academically strong, hence the need for diversity.
“With a wider curriculum, every kid eventually gets to be accommodated and explore what they are strong in. Our school motto: ‘Ours Is About The Child’, we try to ensure that everyone has room to excel in at least one of the subjects and activities we offer,” said Ncube as he celebrated the success of two of his former athletes who qualified in South Africa for the African Senior Championships to be held in Ghana this year.
Methembe Tshuma and Thandazani Ndlovu made the grade, leaving Ncube on cloud nine.
“They have made Sobukhazi proud, Bulawayo proud and Zimbabwe too. Their win was for all of us at the school. They buttressed our ideals. Athletics has done well, netball is coming up, we have always been a soccer school, now netball is reclaiming its seat,” said Ncube.
Soccer was Sobukhazi’s number one sport, producing several great players, among them legendary Godfrey Paradza, who was also a 440m sprinter.
Netball and volleyball had their moments, too.
Ncube said rugby is putting in the work and soon there will be a positive vibe around it.
Tshuma led the Zimbabweans’ charge at a South African Track and Field Championship held at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday, finishing third in a race won by Benji Richardson of the North West University, who timed 20,44 seconds in the 200m.
Tshuma held his nerves to run the third-best time of 20,70 seconds, setting himself a new personal best.
He had vowed last week that he would want to beat his personal best of 20,97 seconds run at the same venue last week on Saturday.
But Saturday’s time was sweet news for the Mpopoma lad who went to Sobukhazi High School. He nearly did not make it because of financial challenges until the Chronicle highlighted his plight and Baker’s Inn came to his aid.
Tshuma believes he was close to double delight as he eyed qualifying in the 100m as well. With a season’s best of 10,05 seconds run at White City Stadium in February on an unaccredited surface, he ran a 10,50 seconds last week on Saturday. He had hoped for better. Two false starts and an argument that ensued between organisers and one of the athletes may have distracted his attention.
“I lost concentration after two false start calls. The second one, the guy refused to be disqualified and eventually ran. I will be back if I get the next chance to run,” said Tshuma, who clocked 10,49 seconds in the 100m in a race that he won.
Ndlovu was in no mean mood running one of the fastest 400m by a Zimbabwean, a time of 45,30 seconds, which placed him second behind Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori, who clocked 45,06.
Denis Hove was third best in 45,63 seconds.
The African Senior Championships qualifying time for the 400m is 45,97 seconds.
Once again, Gerren Muwishi, despite being ninth overall, did not have an inspiring race, completing the lap in 46,67 seconds.
The time should surely cause headaches for the National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe, who are working on a 4x400m relay team for the World Relays to be hosted by Botswana in March.
The third best 400m runner is Leeford Zuze with a 45,62 seconds, run in January at the same Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria in January.
