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Humphrey Chigwedere

Sports Reporter
ELECTIONS for a new Hockey Association of Zimbabwe (Haz) executive will be held on Friday in Harare followed by a cup tournament.
The tournament starts on Saturday and ends on Sunday at Old Georgians Sports Club. Each province is expected to send two teams to compete in the men and women’s categories.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Haz spokesperson Humphrey Chigwedere said Masvingo and Harare will have two men’s teams with Bulawayo and the Midlands having one each.

Hippo Valley Hockey Club of Masvingo are the defending champions and will be joined by Rams to represent the province.
“For the women’s category we will have four teams competing, two from Harare, Bulawayo Athletics Club and Hippo Valley. After Saturday’s games we will have an awards ceremony to honour players, technical staff and administrators,” Chigwedere said.

Meanwhile, Mark Manolios of Harare is challenging Bulawayo-based Haz president Gavin Stephens for the top seat. The elections to usher in a new hockey leadership will be held at Gateway High School after the association’s annual general meeting on Friday.
Chigwedere said only paid up members will be allowed to cast their votes.

“The Haz annual general meeting will be in the evening at Gateway High School where a new executive committee to run the affairs of hockey in Zimbabwe for the next two years in terms of the association’s current constitution will be voted into office. According to our constitution, provinces that are up to date with their affiliation can vote. Each province has two votes and if they have a running women’s league they will have another one. All outgoing members of the executive have a vote each. Schools’ representatives have a single vote.

“Harare province is the only one that is paid up so far and we hope Bulawayo, Manicaland, Midlands, Masvingo and Mashonaland Central will clear with the office before Friday,” he said.

List of aspiring Haz office bearers:
President: Gavin Stephens (Bulawayo and current president), Mark Manolios (Harare)
Vice-president: Humphrey Chigwedere (Mashonaland Central and current vice-president), Tongai Mukwewa (Masvingo and current board member)
Secretary: Sarah Bennett (Harare and current secretary)
Treasurer: Neil Evans (Harare)
Board members: Geoff Cooper (Harare), Nicola Watson (Bulawayo and current board member), Mary Houghton (Harare), Stacy Logan (Harare), Bill Birkett (Harare and current board member), Tongai Mukwewa (Masvingo), Prince Mwale (Harare and outgoing athletes’ representative), Collin Williams (Masvingo), Keith Kachambwa (Harare)