Pomp, fanfare at Tinmac sports tourney
THE massive crowd in attendance told a story.
The number of corporate partners added to the glamour.
The competition, in all the sport codes, spiced the dish.
The presence of sporting icons, including football legends David “Broom Boy’’ George, Sunday “Mhofu’’ Chidzambwa, July “Jujuju’’ Sharara, Pardon Chivasa, Collins Kabote, Wellington Shangiwa, Brenna “BaGari’’ Msiska, Clever Nyikadzino, Nathan London, Tonderai Ndiraya and Gift “Umbro’’ Muzadzi plus a number of officials from different sport associations, underlined its significance.
St Anne’s Goto Mission, situated about 32km from Wedza Centre along the Wedza-Murambinda highway, was a hive of activity last Saturday with over 10 000 people witnessing the historic Tinmac Foundation Sports Festival’s finals. More than 10 sport codes with virtually the entirety of Wedza population participating in more than five different categories based on gender, occupation and age took part in this year’s edition of the annual meet over the past two months.
For the first time in the three-year old festival’s history, the tournament included participants from Wedza North.
Since its inauguration in 2019, the fiesta was exclusive to those in Wedza South where the sponsor, Tino Machakaire, is the legislator.
But this time around, the vibrant businessman decided to give an opportunity to everyone in his district of origin.
Four other provinces were also given guest appearances in a tournament whose winners walked away with prizes ranging from motorcycles, wheelbarrows, scooters, bicycles and household utensils, among other items.
Wedza United beat Goto Ward 1-0 in the main event, the football Under-40 men’s finals which was played at a high tempo, much to the delight of the football icons present.
Several players, especially from Goto Ward who are still young including Roy Nhindiri and Takudzwa Mupamhanga, were picked for further nurturing in more professional environments. Besides the usual sport codes, including football, volleyball, athletics, netball, cycling and tug-of-war, participants also battled it out in traditional sports like nhodo, pada, raka-raka, bottle races and mafurawu.
And the Government hailed the initiative with the guest of honour, Monica Mutsvangwa, who is also the Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister saluting Machakaire.
“I am honoured and humbled to be part of this gathering convinced by Tinmac Foundation which seeks to further the development pathway for sports and recreation at grassroots level and at the same time using sport as a transformative tool for the lives and well-being of our people,” Mutsvangwa said.
“I take this opportunity to applaud the organisers of this event and all the stakeholders involved for implementing this fun-filled tournament with a cultural sports flavour (tsoro, nhodo and pada) amongst all the traditional sports.
“I also take note and appreciate that this event is being administered under the theme “Empower one, empower all, living no one behind.”
“This initiative augurs well with the community sports and recreation club system initiated and advocated for by the Ministry of Arts, Sport and Recreation which seeks to decentralise sport to all communities by providing for a platform for involvement in sport for all Zimbabweans.” Minister Mutsvangwa said this initiative was key in the fight against societal vice as people will be concentrating on sport instead of engaging in detrimental activities like drug abuse and prostitution.
Dynamos coach Tonderai Ndiraya said the more rural players get the exposure, the more they become confident and it will be easy for them to fit into professional structures.
“I think at this juncture, we cannot always say there is talent in rural areas, it’s (now) a known fact.
“What is needed now is for these rural players to get the necessary exposure and move to the next level,” said Ndiraya.
“We should salute Tino Machakaire for this great initiative. These players have something to look forward to every year. We trust and believe that every year, we will play our own part to ensure there are players who take to the next level of the game. I am also sure that will be happening not only in football but in other sport codes as well since there are several of them being contested for, in this festival.
“We need to see more of these festivals across the country and we will have a wider pool to select the next legends from.”
Sport administrators, including Director General of the Sports and Recreation Commission Sebastian Garikai and Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board chief executive Lawrence Zimbudzana, also graced the event.