The return of schools sport

SCHOOLS around Manicaland are bracing for the return of sporting action almost three years after it was put on ice due to the Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdown.

Schools are reopening on Tuesday for the 2022 second term.

Expectations are high that ball games which are normally played during the second term will be back this year after the relaxation of most Covid-19 preventative protocols. National Association of School Heads (NASH) head in charge of football, John Muyocha said they are expecting to have the resumption of football competitions when the second term starts.

Muyocha said they are yet to get the final confirmation of the competitions that will be allowed this year.

“We are yet to get final confirmation of the actual competitions that will be staged this year. We are expecting to have some competitions being held even though they maybe be reduced since Covid-19 is still with us.

“We had a number of competitions for different age groups before Covid-19 struck. We will be able to confirm the actual number of competitions we will have this year soon. A decision will be made at national level and we will abide by that,” he said.

Apart from the Under-16 girls and Under15 boys Copa Coca Cola tournament, high schools also used to have football competitions for Under-17s and Under-20s sponsored by Surrey and Proton.

In recent years, the country's flagship high schools' football competition, the Copa Coca-Cola 15-and-Under boys and Under-16 girls' tournament would kick off in May with zonal games, reaching its climax with the national competition in July following the conclusion of provincial finals.

Nyamauru High School of Dangamvura suburb in Mutare have dominated the girls' football competition in recent years, while Mutare Boys'High have been a regular feature at the Copa Coca Cola national finals.

However, in 2019, the last edition to he held before the lengthy Covid-19 induced break, Bulawayo's Mpopoma High School beat Nyamauru High School 5-4 in the finals to claim the Copa Coca-Cola girls victory.

The finals were played at Rimuka Stadium in Kadoma.

The Mpopoma girls met Nyamauru in the finals for the second consecutive time and unlike the previous year, this time, the Bulawayo side managed to emerge winners.

That was the 31st edition of the national Copa Coca Cola football tournament for Under-15 boys and Under-16 girls.