Cossasa Games :Zim off to a great start

Lovemore Dube and Fungai Muderere

ZIMBABWE got off to a perfect start at the Confederation of Schools Sports For Southern Africa (Cossasa) Games when the boys’ Under-17 football team beat Namibia 2-0 at White City Stadium yesterday.

It was the first match of the tournament in an event which ends tomorrow with the final and medal presentation ceremony.

Coached by Bernard Matenga, Zimbabwe got its goals from George Ngululu and Brian Kariji.

Ngululu was on target in the 20th minute coming to the end of a well taken corner kick with a firm header with Kariji firing from inside the box in the second half to all but seal the visitors’ determined fight.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Torerai Moyo, has praised the new curriculum for promoting children to explore many avenues while at school, which could come in handy in adult life.

He said the Heritage-Based Curriculum was key in assisting children to eke a living out of their own talents.

Minister Moyo was speaking at the official opening ceremony of the Cossasa Games which kicked off yesterday afternoon.

The Minister was the guest of honour at the official opening ceremony at White City attended by several dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sport and the Bulawayo community.

Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are the only teams to send children drawn from both primary and secondary schools this year.

“We look at a child not excelling in academics only but also in soccer, arts and fighting sports so that he can have a good life after school. We are happy to see some parents following their children from Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and South Africa,” said the Minister.

White City is expected to be a hive in the next three days with activity in athletics, netball and volleyball as schools fight for supremacy.

The Games are an integral part of schools’ sport and the whole region’s ecosystem, playing a crucial role in the exposure of talent for identification and nurturing, as the Minister said.

He said young athletes had worked hard to represent their countries, which demonstrates what becomes possible when talent is recognised, discipline is cultivated and opportunities created.

The theme of the Games is: One Region, One Spirit, One Champion.

It speaks to the spirit of the region.