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Sports Reporter
HAMMER & Tongues St George’s College Invitational Soccer Tournament record champions Prince Edward will not be around to defend their title this week as the organisers have sought to spread this increasingly important event on the Zimbabwean schools’ sport calendar to wider catchment areas.

The Tigers, who in 2013 and 2014 won the first two editions of the competition – also known as the Peter Lovemore Memorial Tournament – had a dry spell in 2015 and 2016 before bouncing back to reclaim the title last year.

While PE will be greatly missed this year as they have not been invited to the competition, they have made a long-lasting mark on this tournament, and their shadow will always loom over.

Over the years, some of the players who represented Prince Edward in the tournament have become household names in Zimbabwe and beyond.

The most notable is Zimbabwe international striker Tino Kadewere, who has been enjoying a fruitful season with Swedish top-flight club Djurgardens IF.

Kadewere won the Golden Boot Award with six goals in the inaugural Hammer & Tongues St George’s College Invitational Tournament in 2013, helping Prince Edward School win the title that year.

Then there is goalkeeper, Tatenda Mukuruva, who was Zimbabwe’s first-choice goalkeeper at the African Cup of Nations finals in Gabon last year.

Mukuruva captained Prince Edward School to their second consecutive title in 2014.

Meanwhile, Linsent Chitiyo, Prince Edward’s sports master, says the vision of the school goes hand-in-hand with the Peter Lovemore Memorial Trophy.

“Our vision is always beyond dominance, but grooming and nurturing a well-rounded gentleman who will be a national podium athlete,” said Chitiyo.

“We value exposing our young boys to healthy competitions and getting them to grow their technical and tactical intelligence in football through matches.”

The tournament will be held at the traditional venue, St George’s College, this Friday and Saturday.

Twenty four teams have been pooled in four groups of six.

A unique feature of this tournament is its inclusivity.

It draws schools from different backgrounds and areas of the country: government and private, rural and urban, the traditional football-playing schools as well as those where football is historically not part of the sporting culture.

It’s a get-together of cultures on the lush fields of St George’s, over a two-day fun-filled festival of football.

GROUPS

Pool A: St George’s College A, Gateway High, St John’s Chikwaka, Milestone College, Kutama College, Induna.

Pool B: Peterhouse, Midlands Christian College, Nyasha High, St Ignatius College, St Peter’s Kubatana, Inkomo.

Pool C: St John’s College, Christian Brothers College, Marondera High, Nhowe, Goromonzi High, Westridge High.

Pool D: Falcon College, Watershed College, Mufakose 2 High, St John’s Emerald Hill, Manyame Airbase, St George’s College B.