Zimpapers Logo

Sports Reporter
MASHONALAND West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Dynamos patron, Webster Shamu, has commended stakeholders who are chipping in to assist in the nurturing of raw talent through the promotion of football at grassroots level.

Speaking at the launch of the Ethical Leaf Tobacco football tournament at Chinhoyi High School yesterday, Shamu thanked the tobacco firm for deciding to give back to the community through sport.

The tournament will see selected secondary schools in Mashonaland West taking part on a knock-out basis, starting from March 3, with the final slated for March 10 at Chinhoyi High. Warriors coach Sunday “Mhofu” Chidzambwa is the brand ambassador of Ethical Leaf Tobacco. His role will include identifying talent in the remote parts of the country and assisting the coaches and players with coaching clinics. Shamu hailed the venture.

“Today, we want to lay a foundation so that some of the players will also come from remote parts in the province. We have a lot talented of children here, but sometimes the talent is not identified.

“I call upon the national team coach to visit areas such as Chegutu, Nemakonde and Kadoma so that this programme is not in vain, but lays a strong foundation.

“The Government acknowledges the role you are playing. You are not just contracting farmers to grow and you sell tobacco, but you are also giving back to the community. If football begins from grassroots, a strong base is set up and we will produce stars such as George Shaya, Peter Ndlovu, Murape Murape and Chidzambwa because they will be exposed early,’’ said Shamu.

The launch was attended by provincial officers, school heads, Ethical Leaf Tobacco chief executive David Machingaidze as well as former Dynamos players Misheck Chidzambwa and Murape Murape.

Ethical Leaf Tobacco general manager Doesmatter Muvimbi said they were excited to partner football and were looking at launching the project in schools in other provinces such as Mashonaland Central and East. “We are quite grateful for the support that we are receiving from the small-scale tobacco growers in the country, but the majority comes from the Mash West, hence our presence here. This is part of our corporate social responsibility programme and we will go to other parts of the country as well.

“We did this programme last year at a smaller scale and quite happy about the way it was run. We are looking at seven schools for now and the package is around $10 000, but we want to grow that brand.

“We are very thankful that the national team coach himself, Sunday Chidzambwa, has agreed to be the brand ambassador of this project. He is prepared to go to the grassroots,’’ he said.