Online Reporter
Tadious Manyepo in ZHANGJIAKOU, China
FORMER Young Warriors player Walter Musanhu is proving that football knows no boundaries with his Jadel Football Academy in China by bringing together 23 nationalities.
It can be difficult to set up an academy let alone attract numbers amounting to over 400 in the Asian country.
The team’s training sessions and matches are a catalogue of different races and cultures, standing in unison through the beautiful game.
“Football is a universal language, spoken by everyone in beautiful tones,” said Anderson Qian, whose Chinese kid Jeff (10) is part of the grassroots team.
“When I look at Jadel Football Academy, I see an embodiment of key elements about both sport and life.
“What Walter Musanhu has done for all of us here is amazing. He has helped in breaking barriers — cultural, language and everything.
“When we are at Jadel Football Academy, we know we are one people brought together by football and always standing for one another.”
The parents have descended in Thaiwoo Resort, Zhangjiakou, a three-hour drive to the south of Beijing where JFA teams are taking part in a four-day tournament that has attracted more than 50 junior teams across the vast country.
The contest, which kicked off yesterday for U-11 and U-12, was organised by the Hebei Football Association and attracts hundreds of youth scouts globally.
Sixteen Zimbabwe-based youngsters travelled for this competition as well as the famous 100-Team Cup that takes place in Beijing from August 8-16.
JFA are the annual 100-Team Cup defending champions.
But it is the inclusive nature of JFA’s composition that is standing out in the drizzly weather in Thaiwoo.
Kenyan Michael Wakjo, an architect who has worked in China since 2016, said, “JFA is incredibly proving that football, if done with utmost professionalism, can collapse all gender, race, colour, language and cultural walls that ordinarily keep people apart.
“When I look at JFA, I see something more than just a football development project.
“It is a platform where we as parents can exchange notes and engage frequently to create a better world.
“I would like to personally salute Walter Musanhu for coming up with this initiative.”
JFA caters for children from as young as three up to the U-18 and over the past three years, the project has seen some of their products signing for top teams in China, Spain, Germany, the United States of America and quite a number in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League and ZIFA’s lower division affiliates.
But for Japanese Mario Zukiya, JFA is not just an arena to transform football potential into reality.
“This is a platform that is providing our kids and us, as the parents learn different ways of life, different cultures and languages.
“It’s a powerful socialisation tool and we are enjoying every moment of it,” said Zukiya.
Yiwen Fan, the principal at BJSECEC elementary school where JFA also has a branch echoed Zukiya’s sentiments.
Musanhu told Zimpapers Sports Hub that when he set out to start JFA, his aim was to unite people through football.
“Yes, things are panning out the way we wished. We are using the game for sports tourism and cultural exchanges,” said Musanhu.
“I am happy that we have catapulted a number of players to the professional leagues around the world and we will continue doing that. I am happy that through this academy, we have seen people from different countries becoming best friends, with football the common denominator.”
JFA has players from a total of 23 countries, including 11 from African countries like Zambia, Malawi and Ethiopia.
