The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
INSPIRED by a former Highlanders goalkeeper, Sidney Zimunya who took up long distance running after hanging up his gloves, a group of former Highlanders members have formed an athletic club affiliated to Bosso.
Highlanders is one of the few sporting institutions in the country that house different sporting disciplines such as rugby, darts, football, basketball, volleyball and netball.
Zimunya has taken part in various local and regional marathons outside the country’s borders.
Former Bosso player, Lawrence Phiri said having been part of management that saw the formation and assimilation of other sporting codes to Highlanders in the 80s, he felt compelled to bring athletics into the Bosso fold.
He said Highlanders was more of a culture than just a football club hence the need to widen the scope of disciplines that are under the sporting body’s brand.
“After seeing Zimunya being seriously involved in athletics after retiring from the sport, I engaged other Highlanders supporters who expressed interest in forming a running club under the banner of Highlanders.
“We believe running provides a perfect and cheap exercising platform that keeps one healthy and we can use the club as a vehicle to promote a healthy lifestyle among the club’s multitude of supporters,” said Phiri, adding that the development of Highlanders into a strong sporting institution is a vision that is very close to his heart.
He said they have already engaged the Bulawayo Athletics Board who invited them to this year’s annual general meeting that was held yesterday.
Phiri said the club’s main event will be a half marathon, which also incorporates 10km and 5km fun runs, that has already been included in this year’s athletics calendar.
He said they were also aiming at promoting good health through regular exercise, awareness of cardiovascular diseases and being part of the annual Bosso countdown centenary celebrations.
“Bringing in more sport codes under the Bosso brand will certainly increase brand value and popularity of the Bosso. Imagine a scenario where the club would provide national team players for each of the disciplines that we would be involved in, it is something that can make the club’s stock very high,” said Phiri.
He said they have engaged the Highlanders executive and board on joining the broad Highlanders family and are hopeful they would be officially welcomed into the big Bosso fold.
