Herentals lead the way in breast cancer awareness campaign
HERENTALS have revealed the pink colour of their kit is inspired by their commitment to raise breast cancer awareness.
The Students have been using the pink kit as their primary brand for the past four years. And, in those years, Herentals’ active role, in raising awareness on the deadly ailment, has provided one of domestic football’s beautiful tales.
The Harare side have joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Breast Cancer Month which runs between October 1 and October 31.
Zimbabwe Newspapers are also involved in the initiative.
Speaking after a virtual presentation, on the importance of screening and early detection yesterday, Herentals chairman, Tafadzwa Benza, said the team realised the impact of breast cancer, to the citizens of this country and they have decided to join hands with others to raise awareness.
His father, Innocent, is the owner of the club and the oldest player in the domestic Premiership.
He revealed that after seeing a lot of young women, some of them who enrolled at the Herentals Group of Schools and Colleges, suffering from breast cancer, his team decided to join the campaign and adopted the pink colour on their kit.
“Our initial colours in the First Division were blue, white and gold,’’ he said. ‘’ But, we decided to change to pink, some four years ago, as a way to try and give a message that we are together with the rest of the country in fighting breast cancer. Cancer is one of our biggest opponents, as a team, and that is the reason we chose to wear pink.
“All our teams, including the senior side playing in the Premiership as well as the feeder club, which play in the First Division, wear pink.
“Herentals Queens, who play in the Women’s Premier League, as well as all our junior teams, including the school teams, all use pink kit for the same reason.
“We came to the realisation that, as a big institution, we also ought to play a big role in fighting this scourge which affects everyone.’’ He said football clubs, and educational institutions, like the Herentals Group of Colleges, do not live in a vacuum and have to play big roles to help their societies.
“Look, Herentals Football Institution is huge, it comprises female and male teams in almost every division, as well as every age group,’’ he said.
“We are driven by our schools, and colleges, which have large enrolments with kids and parents alike all affected by cancer in one way or the other.
“So, as an institution which is central, we then decided to take this step and, as we talk, we have helped so many cancer patients in the past.
“We have also been campaigning, and spreading awareness about the importance of early detection and management.
“This year, we have done the same and it is our intention to always do that for the good of our society.
“All our team buses also have the pink ribbon on them to support the initiative.
“Even at our schools, we do athletics in the first term, and ball games as well as talent shows in the second and third terms, and pink is our theme colour for all those activities.”
With football activities back, Benza said their technical team was already working on the modalities to start group training on Monday.
“We are happy that football is now back and, as a team, we have already started working on the modalities to have the boys back in training by Monday next week,’’ said Benza.
“The coaches, led by head gaffer Kumbirai Mutiwekuziva, have already started contacting players and, with the help of the administration, we should have a clearer picture on the way forward by the end of this week.
“We are keen to go back to the field and do what we love the most. We want to achieve a lot on the domestic scene, after performing decently in our first two years in the top- flight league.”