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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
IN what could be a first for squash in this country, a group of talented, young players from the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust are set to visit Germany after having been invited for a nearly three-week tour of the European country in April.

The Squash Verband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. of Hamburg, Germany, through their president, Christian Oswald, yesterday extended an invitation for more than 10 players from the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust to undertake a one-month tour of that country from April 7 to 23.

This will be part of a sporting and cultural exchange programme which the Squash Verband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. of Hamburg would like to enter into with the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust, according to the invitation letter which was sent yesterday to the academy’s director, Mashumba Mukumba, by Oswald.

“In reference to your email sent on February 2, I would like to inform you herewith we are looking forward to welcome the group from the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust of Harare during the period of April 7 to 23, 2017, and invite them to a sporting and cultural exchange programme in Germany.

“Please consider that due to volunteer involvement of all members of our board, we still have to agree on a programme and specific timeframe which is compatible with personal workload and availability of our project members,” read part of the invitation letter which Oswald sent to the director of Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust, Mukumba, yesterday.

The Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust are based at Harare’s Belgravia Sports Club and were founded in 2009 by Mukumba with the aim of introducing underprivileged children from Harare’s high-density suburbs as well as those from Chitungwiza to take up the sport of squash.

In fact, since its formation, the academy is now the home of a number of children from Glen View, Kuwadzana, Budiriro, Warren Park, Dzivarasekwa and Chitungwiza who travel to Belgravia Sports Club, which is along Sam Nujoma Street extension in Harare, almost everyday after school or during the weekends to play squash.

And a team of more than 10 boys and girls from the Zimbabwe Squash Academy Trust have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of touring Germany in April for a month where they will play in a number of junior tournaments under the Squash Verband of Hamburg, who are based in the northern city of Germany.

The lucky players are Rukudzo Midzi (boys Under-11), Ryan Gwadzima (boys Under-14), Innocent Mukumba (boys Under-23), Tafadzwa Mushunje (boys Under-23), Chrispen Muza (boys Under-23), Covermore Mutata (boys Under-23), Nehemiah Mashonganyika (boys Under-23), Jana Mhlaba (girls Under-19), Polite Mubure (girls Under-16), Roy Jambo (boys Under-16), Kuziva Madungwe (girls Under-19) and Yvonne Mubure (girls Under-23).

They are expected to be accompanied to Germany by the director of the academy, Mashumba Mukumba, and two coaches Talent Mushunje and Malvin Mubure. And Mashumba Mukumba said the tour of the European country would go a long way in helping the young players to develop themselves into professional squash players.

“Germany is one of the biggest squash-playing nations in Europe, if not in the world, and they have so many clubs or academies which channel out or produce scores of talented junior players year in, year out and I’m glad that the Squash Verband Schleswig-Holstein e.V. of Hamburg would like us to be part of their family as well as part of their junior development programme.

“So, this proposed tour of Hamburg in April will surely be an eye-opener for our players who have been picked for this trip as they will use it to harness their talents and giving them the much-needed international exposure as they will be exposed to various levels of the sport in Germany,” Mashumba Mukumba said.

He said they needed to raise more than $20 000 which will go towards the players air fares and other expenses which they will incur during their month-long tour of Germany.