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PROUDLY ZIMBABWEAN . . . Members of Team Zimbabwe for the 2014 Partille Cup wait patiently for their team bus upon their arrival in Gothenburg, Sweden, at the weekend to take part in the three-day Olympic Solidarity Training Camp which was held ahead of the biggest youth handball tournament which got underway on Monday and will end on Saturday. – (Picture by Patson Ncube)

GOTHENBURG (Skandik Afrik). – The Zimbabwe national team was among six nations that recently took part in the Olympic Solidarity Training Camp which is arranged by the Partille Cup management in Gothenburg, Sweden, to strengthen handball development across the world.

The Olympic Solidarity Training Camp was held over this last weekend and among other nations that were selected for this programme are Chile, England, China, Nepal and Scotland.

Harare’s Girls High School’s Under-16 team and the Zimbabwe girls Under-16 national side came together and formed the “Zimbabwe national squad” that took part in the Olympic Solidarity Training Camp in Gothenburg at the weekend prior to the start of this year’s Partille Cup.

The Olympic Solidarity Camp is designed for developing countries in handball and the event is organised by the European Handball Federation, the International Handball Federation and the International Olympic Committee.

The purpose of the Olympic Solidarity Training Camp among the selected nations is to share experience by playing friendly matches among themselves, engaging in team practice sessions and have access to coaches from the Swedish Handball Federation which will assist by encouraging and helping these countries to become great handball nations in the future.

The Olympic Solidarity Training Camp lasted for three days and ended before the Partille Cup tournament which began on Monday in Gothenburg.

The Partille Cup is the world’s largest youth handball tournament which normally takes place yearly in Gothenburg, Sweden.

At this year’s Partille Cup, Zimbabwe is being represented by five teams which includes the boys Under-18 and girls Under-16 national teams, Harare Girls High School and Mashrhino, a select side from Mashonaland West Province.

Harare’s Girls High School are fielding a team in the Under-16 section while the two sides from Mashonaland West Province, who are playing under the name Mashrhino at this tournament, are participating in the boys Under-14 and girls Under-13 categories.

The Zimbabwe Handball Federation have also picked a girls Under-18 select side that is also representing their country at this year’s Partille Cup.

Amon Madzvamuse, the ZHF president, and his secretary-general, Alphios Magiya, are heading Team Zimbabwe at this year’s Partille Cup in Gothenburg.

Lilian Chiketa, the chairperson of the Mashonaland West Handball Association, and the association’s vice-chairperson, Alfios Mhondiwa, are also part of the Zimbabwean delegation in Gothenburg where they are looking after the two Mashrhino sides.

All members of Team Zimbabwe took part in the tournament’s opening ceremony on Tuesday night.

It was a historical night at Gamla Ullevi in Gothenburg as the the Partille Cup’s opening ceremony attracted a great audience with music, dance and fireworks and made it a night that hardly will be forgotten.

The ceremony was earlier held in the indoor arena Scandinavium. But this year the ceremony moved outside to Gamla Ullevi because the interest and participation has increased in recent years. Local teams had earlier not been able to go to the show because of the focus on foreign teams.

But all teams can from now on experience this fantastic show and Gamla Ullevi hosted 13 700 people on Tuesday night – a new record for Partille Cup.

Artist Erik Grönwall was host of the show and guided the audience through the evening with speech and song along with fantastic dancers and artists. Together they created an euphoric atmosphere on the crowded arena. The joy and love among the audience was not able to miss.

German artist Rob Fowler visited and performed his song “Do it like Us”, the VELUX Champions Leagues official anthem. There where also connections to Sweden and Gothenburg as Erik Grönwall sang Håkan Hellström’s “Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg”.

All participating countries, including Zimbabwe, got presented on the inner-field under different occasions of the show. They walked with their flags to the beat of music.

Sweden was the last country to be presented and not unexpectedly got the loudest cheers. The Partille Cup-oath was presented and the tournament anthem “We are one” was performed.

One of many fun surprises was the involvement of the audience in the program by constant clapping and singing along to the music. You could really feel that it was going to be an unforgettable night.

The one-and-a-half-hour show was brought to the end by a spectacular firework show. A perfect end of a historic event the evening the Partille Cup opening ceremony moved outdoors.