The ManicaPost
Fungayi Munyoro Sports Correspondent
ALL is set for the annual Tino Mawoyo Junior Development Cricket Festival to be held at Mutare Sports Club from September 7-8.
Mountaineers batsman, Tino Mawoyo has been bankrolling the prestigious event which was launched in September 2017 with the aim of developing cricket in under privileged communities.
Last year the event was put on hold due to a cholera outbreak in the city.
The festival is expected to feature five boys’ teams and a total of 11 matches are lined up.
Mawoyo said all was set for the sporting extravaganza.
“All is in place now for this year’s edition. Last year we were forced to put it on hold due to a cholera outbreak. This year we are ready. All teams are ready to fight for top honours. It is very unfortunate that this year’s edition will not feature girls’ teams.
“As a follow up on to the girls introduction to cricket we had in 2017, my wish was for the girls to play a curtain raiser match for this year’s edition. Unfortunately, we did not manage to get the number we required. However, it gives us homework to put in place structures that will provide us with those numbers for next years’ festival. One of our major objective as a foundation is to support the girl child and this is one of the ways we want to do so,” he said.
This year’s prizes include best bowler, batsman, fielder, wicket keeper, most promising cricketer, cricketer of the festival and most disciplined team will get the ‘Keegan Taylor Memorial Trophy’.
The festival has provided a platform for the children in the province to showcase their skills especially those from underprivileged communities.
“We have provided programmes to teach the children skills that will help them through life whether they become high profile performance athletes or not. In 2017, the participants went through a training facilitated by Sports Leadership Institute of Zimbabwe and this year participants, coaches and managers will go through a life skills training course facilitated by the Zimbabwe Red Cross.
“We have not only provided a platform for the cricketers but also identified cricketers we would like to take under our wing, nurture and develop into top, well rounded cricketers,” he said.
The Mutare born Mawoyo made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2006. He also made his test debut in 2011 against Bangladesh. Mawoyo also lead the Zimbabwean Under-19 cricket team in six under- 19 One Day Internationals in 2003-4 and the Under-19 World Cup the same season.
