La Liga deal sealed
◆ professional leagues that’s it . . .because they have no access and no growth potential.
“If you play in the Spanish leagues and if you play in the major leagues of big money, so this is a legacy project that starts with donating a ball and training the trainers,” Suay said.
Suay also underscored the significance of having talented payers being exposed to the right technical and tactical training from a tender age, which he said would bode well for the competitiveness of the national team.
The Spanish official told Chiyangwa and Machana of the need for ZIFA and the Government to lobby for more corporate support for the initiative.
“You need to lobby the corporations and the mines to support this project. Many of the CSO projects to date have no impact, but this is a project that will have massive impact because with the funding, the kids will have right training, the national teams will become competitive, the national pride in terms of soccer goes and everyone will be happy.
“Politically, it is a fantastic move for any political currency for the people, it’s an incredible thing that can give them the ability to achieve their dreams,” Suay said.
Barradas had in his initial engagement with Chiyangwa revealed that his superiors at La Liga mandated him to explore possibilities for football exchange programmes between Zimbabwe and Spain, engineer grassroots development, foster training of trainers, raise development projects and to support with football equipment.
The ZIFA, La Liga deal also dovetails into the thrust that new Minister of Sport, Arts Recreation Kazembe Kazembe has been placing emphasis on - that of channelling more Government resources into establishing community sports clubs.
Kazembe and his permanent secretary Prince Mupazviriwo have already started a programme to identify sports clubs and faculties that have been left unused in such areas like Bindura, Mhangura, Kadoma and Harare,\ with a view to revive and turn them into multi-purpose community clubs.
The minister is aware that ZIFA will be one of the major drivers of that audacious project to the councillors, who will meet in Harare today, leading the implementation in their various constituencies.