The Sunday News
Sports Correspondent
ZIFA Southern Region Division One side Quelaton has entered into a partnership with the National University of Science and Technology that will see the university running a football team. NUST director of information and public relations Felix Moyo yesterday confirmed that the football team would fall under their ambit and they had already appointed an eight member committee to run it.
He said they were motivated by the need to provide extra-curricular activities to their students while strengthening the students’ sporting abilities.
“We have a sports fund that is used for such activities and we believe it can sustain the team although we obviously have to subject it to scrutiny like any other activity we undertake. We have concluded all the procedures relating to name change and I think the only stumbling block is that we registered late but the name will be changed soon as authorities at Zifa have approved the transaction,” said Moyo, disclosing that they would be holding a formal launch on Friday to introduce the team to different stakeholders including NUST senior management.
Moyo said they were in the process of coming up with a constitution that would govern the running of the team and determine whether players would be drawn from their students only or they would incorporate other talented footballers from outside.
“We have a committee in place that is working on the constitution and once they are done we will run it through senior management before handing it over to our legal advisers who can then polish it up and ensure it complies with the law.
“We are close to concluding the process and we would know the different rules and regulations only after then,” he said.
The committee that will run the football club is composed of the chairman Munyaradzi Murape, vice-chairman Philemon Nyamugure while Anstance Ncube is the secretary-general with Cornelius Ncube assuming the post of treasurer and Albert Nkulumo Mnkandla coming in as welfare manager.
There are three committee members, Sibonile Madoda, Judith Siziba and Licias Tapiwanashe Charumbira.
Quelaton director Tawanda Ruzive said financial challenges had forced him to relinquish the franchise.
“We reached an agreement that will see the university running the team. Players who were in my team will join other players from NUST to complete the team,” he said.
“Under the arrangement players who were playing with Quelaton will remain contracted to me while NUST will take care of their welfare.”
Ruzive said his initial plan was to sell the franchise but NUST said they were not in a financial position to purchase the team outright hence the decision to merge.
“It was tough financing the team in the Premiership and I realised in the interest of the game it is best for me to sell it as I was finding it difficult to fund the club,” he said.
Quelaton had a torrid time in the PSL as they stayed for only one season in 2012 being relegated having won only three games.
NUST could become the first local university to attain Premiership status in local football and follow trends in South Africa where University of Pretoria and Wits University play in the country’s top-flight league.
The team was scheduled to play its opening match against Tsholotsho in Division One yesterday.
