Nkosilathi Sibanda
SPORT administrators in Binga district, Matabeleland North province, have said there is going to be improved activity in the resort area as there have laid down plans to host as many competition this year.
Riding high from last year’s hosting of events that drew national attention, the district is set to again add on flavour, with the calendar of events released this week, showing that they will be action every month.
In February and March, activity will largely concentrate on schools’ athletics.
The list of planned events also has the Binga junior football league that starts in earnest April, followed by a walkathon and pool tournaments in June.
An anti-drug abuse tournament for netball and football is slated for July before preparations for the National Youth and the Paralympic Games in August.
The popular Binga Kasambabezi Marathon is on September 28. In a first for the district, cricket and swimming tournaments will be held in October. The cricket tournament is said to be targeting children of school going age who gained some training under the Zimbabwe Cricket’s Kumusha-Cricket Ekhaya programme whose drive is to grow the sport in marginalised areas throughout the country.
In the same month, the annual Susan Kapotwe netball and football tournaments are planned.
To cap the year will be the beach volleyball tournament that is held in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Volleyball Association.
A surprise entry on the calendar is a golf tournament in December.
Presenting the event diaries to Zimpapers Sports Hub on Wednesday, Binga Sport Community spokesperson, Recent “Ringo” Ncube said they wanted to turn the district into one of the most active in the country.
“We are geared to start the year. As the calendar of events reveals, we are expecting hyped up activity from March and it promises to be a busy one. Never has there been a time like this for sport in Binga district.
“The aim is to get Binga district to be one of the most active in terms of sport competition. We have for a long time lagged behind and this is the time to show the rest of Zimbabwe that we can do it. This is doable because we will work together with the community, Sport and Recreation Commission, National Sport Associations, the National Association of Secondary Heads and the National Association of Primary Heads,” said Ncube.
He said they were proud that new sport codes will be competed for, a sign that sport in Binga was on the rise.
“We now have cricket and swimming. Soon we will add more as resources and support comes through. What has to be acknowledged is that cricket has generated much interest from the youth.
“This will help in the reduction of drug and substances abuse, a feat that will serve well in reaching Vision 2030 that is championed by the Government. As President Mnangagwa always says, no place will be left behind and Binga district will not be left behind,” said Ncube.
