Building football from grassroots
Bruce Chikuni
IT breaks Antony Chigavazira’s heart that he is now about to retire after serving ZIFA for almost three decades as a match commissioner without seeing anyone from his hometown of Mhondoro making it in the same profession.
This is something he wants to correct. Chigavazira grew up in Mhondoro, where he did his primary and secondary education at Nyamweda and Masawi, respectively. As a football enthusiast, he did not end up making it as a professional footballer the way his community had hoped.
But the community celebrated when he made it as a top-flight referee during the era of Wilfred Mukuna, Felix Tangawarima, Gladmore Muzambi, Edson Nkau, Thabani Mkantjo, Kenny Marange and Brighton Mudzamiri.
He became the first top-flight referee to hail from Mhondoro, and that was in 1989 when it was still the ZIFA Super League.
About 27 years ago, he was promoted to be a ZIFA match commissioner.
In addition to helping local teachers train to become qualified match officials, he is also paying school fees for four underprivileged children in Mhondoro using funds he gets from commissioning and refereeing allowances.
He now wants to hire experienced coaches to help identify and nurture talent in Nyamweda.
“Just giving back to the place that made me the person I am today gives me joy,’’ said Chigavazira.
“But I’m also not happy with the progress that this community has made in producing top athletes.
“It pains me that since I started officiating, I haven’t rubbed shoulders with any
of my homeboys and it’s something that is likely to continue if necessary action is not taken.
“We want to launch as many academies as possible in this community and I believe with the help of qualified coaches, we can get where we want to be.”
Chigavazira is also working with his friends to establish the Old Students Association, which now seeks to promote an enabling learning environment.
It is through this initiative that one of his colleagues, Abigail Nzira, recently donated 25 laptops to Masawi Primary School.
The veteran match official also saluted his employers at the Chitungwiza Municipality, where he started off as a registry classifier before he was promoted to be a housing senior clerk.
“Chitungwiza Municipality has assisted me in achieving my goal as a referee and commissioner because they always allow me time off to go and officiate at games,” he said.
“Without their support and understanding, I could have probably stopped officiating. That kind of support has taught me a lot in life.”