admin
Tadious Manyepo Sports Reporter
PROMISING teenage footballer Hillary Mharadzi always wanted to be in Harare where he would always train with his team, Mbare Academy.
But circumstances wouldn’t allow him sufficient time with his Under-14 teammates who apparently envy the young Domboshava boy.
The left-footer is extremely good but his poor background meant he stayed in rural Domboshava while occasionally visiting Mbare for a game or two with his academy. But all that has changed, thanks to Young Warriors player Sebastien Summerfield. The 21-year-old Switzerland-based man is in a massive drive to transform underprivileged but talented youngsters’ lives.
The former AJ Academy graduate plies his trade at Zurich Region Division Two side FC Kilchberg.
He is also studying sports management and football scouting.
And it is the latter course which he has since put into practice with the player conducting grassroots tournaments across the country.
And it was during one of those jamborees in Mbare last year that he met Mharadzi. The left-winger was virtually unplayable on the flank and Summerfield, just like all those in attendance, was left in awe.
He decided to sign up the boy for further development. But on approaching him and the Mbare Academy coach after the tournament, Summerfield got “some disappointing news”. “Mharadzi is a very good player. I liked what I saw from his movement and technique. The boy is good, maybe extremely good for his age,” said Summerfield. “Look, I was impressed with what I saw in him and then I decided that we monitor his development whilst he remains at his academy. “But he told me he didn’t live in Harare. He had visited to play the tournament only and he was already preparing to leave for Domboshava.
“The prospect of him dropping out of school were also high yet he was preparing to enrol for Form 1.
“That’s how I decided that he transfers to Mbare High School while I help his family pay rentals in that surbub so that he would have more time with the academy.
“He has already started his Form 1 at Mbare High and I have since paid for the entire year’s school fees”.
Mharadzi’s mother, Vivian, is still to believe his son is indeed enrolled at Mbare High School. “We are not a well-up family. My son is a talented footballer and he used to visit Mbare where he would play for Mbare Academy. “So it happened that last year, through the benevolence of someone, he visited for the Summerfield tournament.
“As usual, he was outstanding and then the tournament organiser (Summerfield) made some inquiries,” she said.
“That’s when he got to know of our situation. He immediately pledged to move my son from Domboshava and he said he would pay for his school fees.
“The offer was too good to be true. But I can tell you that we are in Mbare right now with my kid enrolled at Mbare High, courtesy of Summerfield.”
Such is the zeal for grassroots development that Summerfield is already looking at finding more less privileged yet talented youngsters to help out attain their dreams.
“I have held youth tournaments in Dzivarasekwa and other areas. My aim is to scout for talented kids from poor communities and put them in enabling environments where they can realise their dreams,” said Summerfield.
“We will be going out in the rural areas to conduct the same tournaments and I am very sure, we will find some raw gems who we can help polish for the good of Zimbabwean football.”
Summerfield said his dream is to help build the base for Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualification in 2026.
He feels he is also still young and together with the players whom he played with in the Cosafa Under-20 tournament in South Africa three years ago, they can help Zimbabwe notch a place at the global showcase.
Online Reporter