The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
LOCAL sports retailer Townshend and Butcher is set to partner Highlanders to celebrate the club’s 90th anniversary through funding a commemorative Sports Day on 24 September.
The Townshend and Butcher Bosso@90 Darts tournament will be one of the five sporting competitions that will be held at Highlanders Sports Club on the day.
The Sports Day that is set to incorporate a family fun day will see the clubhouse being a hive of activity with competitions in football, darts, netball, volleyball and basketball.
Highlanders Darts Chairman Sydney Ncube said the annual tourney is in its third year running and they were happy to stage it as part of the Bosso@90 Celebrations Sports Day.
He said their traditional sponsor, Townshend and Butcher readily agreed to partner them as this is a big occasion as Highlanders commemorates the 90 years milestone.
Ncube said they are expecting more than 150 players at their tourney.
“We are happy Peter Leondios agreed that we make it a part of the Highlanders celebrations to ensure that it is bigger than the previous two editions. We are expecting more players this year because it is a high profile tournament and while previously players have been made up of those from Bulawayo only, this time we will invite those from other provinces,” said Ncube.
Leondios said he was humbled and honoured to be part of celebrations commemorating a great sporting institution with a rich history.
“Undoubtedly Highlanders is one of the biggest sporting institutions we have in the country and they have a rich heritage.
Reaching 90 years is no mean feat and I am glad we are going to be part of these celebrations,” said Leondios.
Ncube said they would be finalizing the sponsorship package to be availed by Townshend and Butcher next week.
Luke Mnkandla, the chairman of the Bosso@90 celebrations committee said the Sports Day was meant to highlight the fact that Highlanders has always been more than just football.
He said while the club started off as a football club it grew to encompass other sporting codes that grew while some fell along the way.
“With the Sports Day we are celebrating the club’s rich sporting heritage that goes beyond football. Over the years we have had table tennis teams, a rugby side, netball, volleyball and basketball among other disciplines. We want to celebrate with sportspeople in other codes hence we want to invite sports lovers to grace the day,” said Mnkandla, adding they intended making the Sports Day a three-day event starting on Friday 23 September and ending on Sunday 25 September.
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