The Sunday News
Tobias Mandoreba in Hwange
A Hwange-based businessman Reeds Dube has sourced a total of 40 soccer balls worth $1 200 to be donated to rural schools within Hwange district as part of efforts to develop sport in the marginalised and often overlooked areas.
According to Dube, the balls will be donated in phases until early next month with Nekatambe Secondary School and Dinde Primary School being the first beneficiaries of a soccer ball each last week.
Dube is being accompanied by the SRC Matabeleland North football instructor and Zimbabwe U-17 national coach Weekly Mwale in moving around making the donations.
“I have been a passionate soccer person from my youth but I have come to realise that more focus is in the urban areas when we talk of sport development hence this gesture towards the rural folks. After the donations, I will also bankroll tournaments and the training of coaches in the near future and I am sure a few talented footballers will emerge from here,” said Dube, who is also a senior Zanu PF politician in Matabeleland North.
Mwale paid tribute to Dube for his contribution towards grassroots football development.
“This is a refreshing development as the attention is most times shifted towards urban areas while neglecting the rural set up.
Even our national teams will end up faring better in future if the net is cast wider as you will be shocked at the abundance of undiscovered football talent in the rural areas.
Zifa have of late been advocating for vibrant junior development programs within the whole country hence we should play our part to ensure at the end of the day the national teams will have players who would have passed through the mill. I will be rendering help on technical aspects during tournaments and training of rural coaches.” said Mwale.
The football talent in Hwange and the province as a whole was laid bare when the United States-based Payne Global Sports conducted a one-day talent scouting exercise in the coal mining town last month.
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