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Brandon Moyo,Sports Reporter
STANBIC Bank Zimbabwe were the main sponsors of the two-day Hockey 5s festival that took place at Saint George’s College in Harare last Friday.
The five-a-side fiesta featured 16 boys’ and girls’ schools from in and around Harare. The event was the first in three years after Covid-19 brought sporting codes to a standstill in the country. The tournament serves as the curtain raiser for the season.
In a statement from the sponsoring financial institution, St George’s head of hockey, Denford Kumundati said the 5s festival resumed in a big way thanks to the Stanbic Bank sponsorship of perimeter rebound boards which enabled the number of teams to rise from 12 in 2019 to 40 this year.
Kumundati said the sponsorship of the rebound boards by Stanbic Bank enabled the tournament to be played on four fields instead of two thereby ensuring that the number of teams and schools increased.
“The rebound boards are a prerequisite for the 5s tournament and in terms of the budget line they were the main items, so we are grateful to Stanbic Bank for supporting us on that front. The gesture by Stanbic to supply the white boards also ensured that the costs of the tournament were reduced and this enabled more teams to participate,” said Kumundati.
He added that the costs of the rebound boards would have been passed on to the participating teams, a scenario which would have discouraged a number of schools from taking part.
Kumundati said the 5s tournament is important as it is a platform for many schools and teams to get match fitness ahead of the grueling hockey season.
“This is the best pre-season tournament which allows players to get match fit as it comes hard on the heels of the just ended cricket and athletics season. The players get to sharpen their skills and get in shape for the upcoming season,” said Kumundati.
One of the key components of hockey 5s is the ability for the ball to rebound from the perimeter boards enclosing the court, so that it remains in play and is regarded as a sixth player for either team to use.
Stanbic Bank head of brand and marketing, Palmer Mugavha, said the leading financial services institution’s support follows the relationship it enjoys with Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ). The banking institute subsidiary has developed a partnership with HAZ through which it has been the main sponsor of key national hockey events.
“Over the past three years Stanbic Bank has sponsored the U21 boys’ and girls’ teams during their participation in local and continental events courtesy of our relationship with HAZ. We felt that it was important to escalate our support of hockey to the grassroots hence we have now moved to supporting the sport at High school level,” said Mugavha.
He also added that Stanbic Bank’s passion for supporting sport has also seen it bankroll national ten is events and the country’s grassroots cricket event, Stragglers.
Participating schools at the 5s tournament included Allan Wilson, Churchill, Dominican Convent, Eaglesvale, Hellenic Academy, Lomagundi, Kutama College, Prince Edward, Sodbury, St George’s College, St John’s College, St John’s Emerald Hill, Tynwald, Watershed, Westridge and Wise Owl. @brandon_malvin
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