Chronicle Editor
Rashiwe Murisa, Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE’S dream to participate in a maiden World Korfball Championships might be up in flames as the Zimbabwe Korfball Federation struggles to raise the required $3 000 affiliation fee for the tournament.
The senior korfball team booked their first berth for the quadrennial competition earlier this year.
The fiesta will be held in Durban, South Africa, in August next year but the country may fail to make it if the federation fails to beat the payment’s January 5, 2019 cut-off date.
Although the team is guaranteed participation allowance after the tournament, no corporate has come forward to help the federation pay the affiliation fees.
A team which fails to pay affiliation fees will not be allowed to participate and possibly attract further sanctions from the International Korfball Federation.
Head of the Fundraising Committee for the World Championships, More Moyo, confirmed they were finding it difficult to raise the money for affiliation.
He said as a committee they were running around to see to it that the team participate at the world fiesta.
“It’s definitely not looking very good for us. We are running around to try and raise the money needed for affiliation.
“We qualified for the World Cup for our very first time in history after working so hard. We are expected to do well at the tournament as the whole of Africa will only be represented by us and South Africa.
“It’s very sad to miss out on the opportunity to represent our people and use the platform to open new avenues for the growth of the sport in the country.
“We have been running around to try and raise the money but, we are stuck. The deadline for the payment is January 5, 2019. If we fail to pay the affiliation, then we are out. We are calling for the corporate world to chip in,” Moyo said.
derick.khumalo