Kadema finally in Germany
WHERE there’s a will, there’s always going to be a way and this proved to be the case for young Zimbabwean athlete Tineyi Kadema who finally made his way to Germany on Saturday afternoon to launch his career as a professional handball player.
The 19-year-old Chitungwiza-based handballer had initially broke down in tears last Monday afternoon when the German Embassy here in Harare denied him a visa, claiming that he did not have proper documentation to prove that he will not end up as an illegal immigrant once his one-month trial stint with a German club — SG H2Ku Herrenberg — ends next month.
But a determined Kadema quickly got in touch with the officials of SG H2Ku Herrenberg in Germany last Monday night and they in turn assured the German Embassy in Harare that he was a “bona fide” athlete who they had invited for a one-month trial period at their club.
And the German Embassy in Harare duly responded the following day by finally agreeing to give the young, aspiring Zimbabwean handball player his visa that allowed him to travel to Germany on Saturday for his attachment with SG H2Ku Herrenberg which began on Monday and will now run until May 6.
A relieved Kadema on Sunday thanked the German Embassy for finally agreeing to process his visa application last Tuesday and said this was a dream come true for him as he settled in the German city of Herrenberg.
“To be quite honest with you, saying I was shattered or devastated is an understatement when the German Embassy in Harare initially turned down my visa application, claiming that ‘the information presented about the purpose of the visit and the conditions of stay were not credible’ “But I first prayed to God and then connected to the people at H2Ku Herrenberg asking them to contact the German Embassy and convince them that I was a bona fide athlete who they had invited for trials there and thank God, they (the German Embassy) finally agreed to process my visa application and here I am in Herrenberg today,” said an excited Kadema just after arriving in Herrenberg on Sunday morning.
Kadema also claimed that he ended up borrowing the extra $300 that was needed for his airfare after that he failed to get the support from both the Zimbabwe Handball Federation and the Sports Commission.
In fact, Kadema initially approached the suspended ZHF president Amon Madzvamuse who told him that he was not in a position to help him since he (Madzvamuse) and his executive board were recently slapped with a two-year suspension by the Sports Commission.
Madzvamuse later referred him to the Sports Commission but the youngster did not get any joy from them either and he ended up borrowing the extra $300 for his airfare. He finally left the country on Saturday afternoon for Germany to start his one-month trial period at SG H2Ku Herrenberg.
Kadema was at the beginning of this year invited for trials in Germany by SG H2Ku Herrenberg who are one of that country’s top professional handball sides.
A former Churchill School pupil, Kadema said he was really looking forward to his one-month trial period at SG H2Ku Herrenburg and was confident that he will make the grade there.
“I just want to work hard during my trial period here and I’m quite convinced that I will impress the coaches of SG H2Ku Herrenberg and sign a contract as a professional handball player and I think this will open the doors for more handball players from Zimbabwe to come here to Germany and play the sport at professional level,” Kadema said.
The SG H2Ku Herrenberg is a syndicate of three German handball teams.
According to Silvia Egenter, a member of SG H2Ku Herrenberg, the club will pay for Kadema’s all expenses, including accommodation and food, during his one-month stay in Germany.
A left-half player, Kadema started playing handball at Zengeza 4 High School in Chitungwiza before he moved to Churchill School in Harare where he continued to play the sport under one of the country’s top coaches and officials, Innocent Kanosvova.