Suburban
Shingai Dhlamini
TWO top junior Zimbabwe squash players are looking for financial assistance to participate in the South African Inter-Provincial Championships set for April 15-19 this year.
Squash has recently been added to the Olympics and the first participation will be at the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and local junior players are now being exposed to international events with that in mind.
Junior squash national chairman Boyd Raynars said that there is a lot of talent in Zimbabwe but the challenge they face is that most of these players are underprivileged, which creates a barrier for them to develop and perform well
“We do have a few under privileged players that are very talented and have been able to compete in local tournaments over the last few years and made the Zimbabwean team under the relevant age groups.
“This year we have Brighton Mpofu from Milton High School, Bulawayo and Manfred Dube from Churchill High School in Harare who are in need of sponsorship and we have a few other players who also require assistance,” said Raynars.
Squash Rackets Association of Zimbabwe (SRAZ) is looking at ways to support the players, nurture their talent and get them the exposure they require to become the best.
The players will compete with top players from every South African province.
“As SRAZ we are appealing to the corporate world out there and well-wishers to assist these players meet their dreams of traveling to the Inter Provincial Tournament in South Africa. This is a very good Tournament for Zimbabwe, to use as a measure for our competitiveness as our level of play has increased with the steps we’ve taken and training we have been able to expose our players to,” said Raynars. The president of SARZ, Pat Izznett and the chairman Lucky Mlilo are also in support of finding ways for the underprivileged players to be exposed.
“We are all working together with members of the SRAZ Executive Committee towards making positive developments within the Squash Community in Zimbabwe,” said Raynars.
