Sports development must go beyond soccer

EDITOR — Over the years most youths or high school tournaments have focused on specifically targeted sports like soccer, cricket, basketball and others without embracing all the sports at one event.

Though “specialisation’’ has its own advantages as well as missing links it is good now that schools have started holding tournaments where more than two sporting disciplines are involved.

While such tournaments like the Copa Coca Cola specifically focus on major sports like soccer for which Harare is always credited and hailed around the globe and across the region for introducing, the tournament has spread to other countries around the world.

Our greatest Warrior Peter Ndlovu is a notable product of such youth tournaments like the Copa Coca Cola with Dynamos FC’s Leo Kurauzvione and Nyasha Chazika being other notable products among other popular players who donned the famous blue jersey.

The Dairibord Zimbabwe Rugby Festival formerly the Cottco Rugby Festival is another big schools rugby festival in the country.

This festival or tournament has also grown from strength to strength, even attracting participants from beyond Southern Africa.

Talent identification and nurturing are of great importance in any sporting nation. Famous clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid also have such structures where talent is nurtured and developed from youth level.