Nehanda Radio
By Besester Gomo
24 March 2011
Zimbabwe’s Education, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Senator David Coltart has confessed to being a Highlanders fan. Coltart said this while sharing a light moment with officials from bitter rivals Dynamos at his offices.
Dynamos officials led by the board chairman Richard Chiminya arranged the meeting to present a souvenir for their 50-year anniversary celebration countdown. They also wanted to deliver their proposal of working with schools around the country.
Coltart said: “I am a Highlanders supporter, I must confess. But I must admit that Dynamos is doing well and has been doing well in the past. You have really picked well. You are doing a great job for the country. Your performance last Sunday was great.
“Dynamos are a great brand. But what worries me is that you have not exploited it. The fact that the team is doing well on the pitch may well be a sign that you are now putting your house in order. “I’m glad you realise the importance of schools in football. The foundation of sport is schools and clubs.
“Schools and clubs should therefore work together. At the moment we are in the process of changing our curriculum to incorporate sport. Football, for example, should create a career path to those who play. But the tragedy has been that those who play football sometimes cannot make a living out of it.
“Often, we hear that at 30, a former footballer becomes destitute. It’s because they have not been given a career path within their sporting discipline. Our clubs are not very strong financially. But I believe that the first stage towards strengthening them is to create permanent homes for clubs.â€