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Descent Dube, Sports Reporter
THERE’S uncertainty regarding Thembalethu Foundation’s continued sponsorship of the Southern Region Women’s Soccer League amid reports that the teams haven’t received their prize money.
The sponsors are said to have given the region’s chairperson, Takundwa Chimundiya $1 000 for prizes ahead of the awards ceremony on Thursday.
The Foundation representative Talent Ncube said the sponsors are yet to meet to decide the way forward regarding the 2019 season and also confirmed that the foundation had given Chimundiya $1 000 for prizes.
All participating teams got medals, including Street Set, who only played four matches before being expelled for allegedly receiving a donation of soccer balls from Zanu-PF Member of Parliament for Bulawayo South, Raj Modi.
Champions Inline Academy walked away with a trophy, a kit, 28 gold medals and were supposed to receive $225 cash. The runners-up, Magwegwe Stars got a kit, silver medals and were supposed to get $175 cash while third-placed ZRP were supposed to get $175.
Inline Academy manager Priscilla Ncube said they didn’t get a convincing explanation on why their prize money wasn’t handed over to them on Thursday.
“They shouldn’t have made it official that we’re getting money which we don’t know when we’re going to get. How are we going to explain to the players who didn’t attend that we’re yet to get cash?” said Ncube.
Asked on whether Thembalethu Foundation will continue supporting the league, Talent was diplomatic in her response.
“Our motive is to see the girl child making it in life and given the same platform as their male counterparts but we would want to do that with few challenges.
“As we stand we’re working on other programmes that we’ll be sponsoring in 2019 because it is not only football that can empower a girl child,” she said.
United Kingdom-based Zimbabweans, Kelvin Marley and Sisasenkosi Mnkandla are behind the Thembalethu Foundation.
“As Thembalethu we’ll always fulfil our obligation but we need to play our responsibilities as stakeholders and ensure that we don’t disadvantage players who dream to play for the national team,” said Talent.
Efforts to contact Chimundiya were fruitless as his mobile number wasn’t going through for the better part of yesterday.
Speaking at the awards ceremony Zifa Southern Region board member Fiso Siziba, appealed to Thembalethu to continue serving the girls as it will go a long way in promoting women’s football.
“I thank the sponsors for their splendid job and we applaud them for this selfless gesture under these economic hardships. I challenge other corporates to come on board and make this league a dream one.
“We as Southern Region need to reclaim our glory days when we used to produce the likes of Nomsa ‘Boyz’ Moyo and Rosemary Mugadza among a host of talented girls,” said Siziba. — @DecoDecent2
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