adminHillside athletes went under the Zone B team banner, which had Mkoba Teachers’ College and United College of Education athletes as well and they won the championships.
Speaking at a brief but colourful awards ceremony at the college yesterday morning, college principal Elkanah Dube urged trainee teachers to develop themselves professionally in sports by attending workshops, training seminars and attaining life long certificates.
“It is my wish to see everyone of you selecting one sporting discipline, develop skills in it up to the highest level so that as teachers you will be in a position to influence and shape attitudes towards sports when you eventually join the teaching profession. In attaining certificates in your chosen disciplines, it will enable you as teachers to identify, nurture and train talent that will in turn contribute to the sporting excellence of the nation,” said Dube.
He also said the trainee teachers should take their efforts to the next level instead of ending with college games.
He challenged them to join national teams and clubs.
The team participated in soccer, volleyball, cricket, darts and track and field competitions and came back with 30 medals.
In athletics, Hillside collected 14 gold medals out of an available 30, meaning the other 12 colleges had to fight for the remaining 16.
Caron Chashamba, who used to run for Sparrows of Bulawayo before joining Zimbabwe Prison Services, emerged the best female athlete, scooping a gold, silver and a bronze medals.
She came home first in the 100m race in 11.34 seconds before settling for silver in the 200m race with a time of 27.62 seconds.
“I could have collected gold in the 200m had I not pulled a muscle during the race. I am quite confident I will do well in the national finals in Mutare,” said the former Eveline High School student.
The men and women’s soccer teams also scooped gold, with the men’s side coached by Tabani Mnkantjo with veteran coach Cosmos Zulu the technical advisor, conceding just a single goal throughout the tournament. They have in their team, former Highlanders striker now at Chicken Inn, Abraham Mbaiwa.
Hillside beat Seke 4-1 in their first game, with Mbaiwa grabbing a goal while the other goals came from Alexio Mafu, Busi Sigelagelani and Edgar Chinjekure. Their second match was against Masvingo-based Morgenster whom they mauled 4-0 in a game in which Tatenda Nyoni scored a hat-trick with the other goal coming from Mafu.
Their next victims were the hosts Belvedere, who they knocked out 1-0 in the semi-finals before cruising to a 2-0 win in the final against fellow Bulawayans United College of Education.
Those that made it into the Zitcosa team will now represent the teachers’ colleges during the Zimbabwe Tertiary Institutions Sports Union Games (Zitisu) that will be held next month in Mutare.
The games will be a clash of teachers’ colleges, universities and technical colleges in the country.
“After the Zitisu Games, we will have a national team that will represent the country in the Confederation of Universities and Colleges Sports Association (CUCSA) Championships in Namibia later this year,” said Edward Chekure, the Zitcosa president who is also the Hillside Teachers’ College sports director.
Online Reporter