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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
EFFORTS are underway to set up a tennis centre in Mufakose, a high density suburb which produced some of the country’s former top players and coaches.
The project is part of collective efforts by those who came through the Mufakose Tennis Coaching Agency that was run by Albert Nhamoyebonde.
Head of the coaching department, Martin Dzuwa, said the idea was to give back to the community and revive the sport.
“We are still doing the paper work to form an executive, to have a constitution,’’ he said.
“This thing is more about those guys who have played tennis, who lived in Mufakose, and they have gone to play tennis somewhere else, have gone to coach somewhere else.
“Tennis is what made them what they are.
“We are trying to work with the council. We are still working on it to just try to bring back the game of tennis to Mufakose.
“This is like old boys from Mufakose trying to do something good for the community. So, we are trying to have a Centre.
“But, we are still working it out to get a place, in Area E there used to be tennis courts there, we used to play there.”
The Centre is expected to bring in juniors, adults and wheelchair tennis.
“We are looking at a junior programme, adults and people with disabilities, six to 10 years, that’s our main age-group.
“And, also, to have adults playing, to learn the game, so there is less drug abuse. So, it’s just to help the community,” said Dzuwa.
An interim committee, led by coach Richmore Murape, has been put in place and has been running around to raise funds for the project.
“Coach Murape is the chairperson of the committee and we have people around the world,’’ said Dzuwa.
“We have people in the US, Julius Mashonganyika, Andrew Mawire, we have Wisdom Ngoma in England, who has already donated stuff for the project.
“Former players like Nigel Badza, as well as Hilton Nyakabau and Peter Nyamande, who is coaching in Kenya, so we have people around the world supporting this.
“Then, we also have people, in the corporate world, who don’t want to be mentioned.
“We are about more than 80 people who have come from Mufakose and played tennis through Nhamoyebonde.
“We have got seasoned coach, Manjoro (Lazarus), who has been in the system, in the Tennis Zimbabwe development. We also have coach Shepherd Manyumbu.’’
The event will see young players, between the ages of six to 10, taking part.
Murape said they are following in the footsteps of Nhamoyebonde, who gave hope to aspiring young players, who would not have had the opportunity to realise their dream in the sport.
“Most of us who are products of Albert, we managed to regroup again and that’s the only way we (believe) we can salute the legend, Mr Nhamoyebonde, for what he did to the dusty streets of Mufakose,’’ said Murape.
“He produced some of the better players, or top players, during those years and now some of the top coaches, as well.
“So, we are very happy to work together, besides the rural project, we are back again in the urban areas, to see how we can develop our tennis.’’
Murape is also running the rural schools tennis development programme, taking the sport to the disadvantaged areas.
Online Reporter