Spare a thought for schools’ sport

SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD Sharon Mbindori of St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School in Wedza lets out a huge sigh.

She is hurt and distressed.

Fate has blown away her dreams.

The sprinter was hoping to catch the eye of scouts at the aborted National Schools Athletics finals at Peterhouse in Marondera.

Mbindori caught the imagination of the whole province at the same venue in the Mashonaland East Provincial finals, in mid-March with her lightning pace in the 100m, 200m and 400m events.

Though her timings were kept wrapped, the whole province, including St Thomas Aquinas senior teacher Tinashe Muradza, was sure Mbindori was going to capture gold in all her three events.

But, came the premature closure of schools due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The national finals were scheduled for the week starting March 27, the time when the schools were abruptly closed.

“I can’t describe the feeling,” Mbindori said. “My training routines were so intense. I would wake up very early in the morning and embark on mountain running to build strength.

“I would do everything on the track every day to try and improve my showing.”

Mbindori said athletics was the only sport she hopes will transform her life for the better.

“I was hoping, maybe, if I excel at the national finals and book my place at Cosassa, which I was very confident of, scouts would then take a keen interest in me.

“I am confident that I can be the best sprinter in Zimbabwe in my age group so, I think, this is a very enormous blow to my aspirations.”

With schools set to reopen, albeit in phases, the fate of schools’ sports is not yet known.

Nash president, Arthur Maposa, said the national athletics finals could as well have been cancelled.

“It’s so difficult to tell but the national athletics finals for this year might as well have been cancelled though there might be need for us to consider several factors,” said Maposa.

“The national finals were supposed to be held at Peterhouse in Marondera in the week starting March 27.

“But, that was not to be as schools were closed as a measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which was an excellent move by the authorities.

“You know, it is about the health of every citizen in the country and you cannot really think about anything else but our health.’’

Maposa said athletes might just have lost out on the opportunity to be identified by scouts and to participate in the regional Cosassa championships.

“The opportunity for athletes might just have been lost. You know, our national athletics finals attract a bumper field of academy and team scouts.

“This would have been a window for some to be identified for further nurturing.

“This also means the athletes have also missed the opportunity to take part in the Cosassa competition, the biggest regional competition where most of our athletes in the past have secured scholarships.

“But, as I have said, health is what matters at the end of the day.”

For Mbindori, who is an orphan, her chance to impress at the national athletics finals could as well be over as she is in her final year at St Thomas Aquinas.

She will be writing her Ordinary Level examinations in October and she has since stopped training to concentrate on her academic work.

If the coronavirus pandemic eases, Maposa said, the ball games term will have to spill into the third term.