The ManicaPost
Sports Correspondent
MUTARE born rugby star Ngoni Chibuwe who was part of the Zimbabwe Cheetahs Rugby team that struggled at the World Sevens World Cup in San Francisco, United States last week has urged the Government to support various sporting disciplines in the country.
Zimbabwe Cheetahs found the going tough in San Francisco and they were eliminated from the main competition following a 33-12 by Wales.
They further lost to Uganda by 24-10, Tonga handed them a 25-5 defeat. Cheetahs only managed to defeat Jamaica 33-21.
“Zimbabwe has the potential to excel but it is not going to happen overnight. Life was going to be much easier if the government honour sports and recognize the potential that Zimbabwe Sports has.
“There is also a lot of talent in our country that need to be supported and nurtured. Absolutely Zimbabwe Sevens will qualify again for another World Cup. We have a great coach who manages the team with minimum resources.
“My biggest concern is that we need to be much more professional because the level we play requires professionalism and if players are not professional enough, they are bound to be exposed at such levels and honestly that is unfair because as players we would have worked hard to qualify for big stage like World Cup.
Ngoni has played five tournaments so far for the Cheetahs and is currently plying his trade at Old Georgians.
Despite the loss, Ngoni said he will use the experiences that he has gained at the World Cup to build up for the future.
“I am staying positive to build up from the last game that we played against Jamaica. It gave me hope. What a beautiful experience being at the World Cup. It was an amazing event and we had so much fun. The atmosphere was great.
It is every kid’s dream to be at the epitome of any sporting competition. I enjoyed the World Cup and leant a lot. Kudos to everyone who supported me. The support I got from my family and friends from Mutare where overwhelming. Not everyone gets to wear the jersey but I am glad I wore it with pride despite the results,” he said.
Ngoni said he will keep working hard as he wants to continue to be part of the Cheetahs.
“I struggled to find form, coming off from the bench but I finished strong against Jamaica. There is always room for improvement and I will keep working hard in order to dominate at that level,” he said.
