All set for Karakadzai tourney

IT will be a hive of activity this Sunday at Musinami Business Centre in Mhondoro as Chegutu Constituency hosts the inaugural Karakadzai soccer and netball tournament.

The event being held in memory of the late Retired Air Commodore Mike Karakadzai began on September 6 with 16 teams competing in the preliminary rounds for both football and netball.

The 16 teams are Chingondo, Mukwasi, Kaguvi, Toendepi, Saruwe, Nehanda, Dombwe, Mukwasha, Chirinhengo, Chiwanza, Chambara B, Murambe, Danangwe, Chambara A, Runyararo and Chikwangwadza districts.

Each district fielded one team in each discipline, except for Chambara which had an A and B team.

The winners from the preliminary rounds progressed to the quarter-finals before going to the semi-finals.

Kaguvi and Murambe will meet in the football final while Mukwasi will take on the winner between Murambe and Chikwangwadza in netball.

Patron of the tournament Webster Shamu, who is Member of Parliament for Chegutu East, said they were looking forward to an exciting tournament with youths taking part.

“We have decided as Chegutu constituency to do an annual floating trophy soccer and netball competition in the honour of (the late) Retired Air Commodore Mike Tichafa Karakadzai.

“This is going to be an annual event which we hope will engender the spirit of honest, reliability and patriotism in our youths in particular and nation as a whole. So women will play netball and men play soccer.

“I understand it (tournament) has gone very well (so far), people are very enthusiastic and very keen to excel and also I think it has provided an opportunity for maybe creation of a constituency league tournament.

“It’s mainly the youths, although spectators we expect everybody,” Shamu said.

Shamu said he would want to see the tournament grow into a bigger event involving more sport codes.

“One hopes that competition will grow in terms of participation and I would really want to see it grow not only as a constituency but if possible to the level of the whole district and maybe nationally because he is a national hero.

“And we would want to see even the disciplines increasing, right now we are talking only of soccer and netball,” said Shamu.

Organising secretary for the tournament, Smart Zulu, said everything was in place for the inaugural event.

The tournament is being sponsored by the National Railways of Zimbabwe with winners set to walk away with trophies.