Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter
THE 18th edition of the Ingwebu Breweries National Association of Primary Heads (Naph) inter-primary schools football tournament reaches its climax today with provincial representatives clashing at Jotsholo Grounds.
According to the sponsors, $2,500 will be in store for the winners in the boys’ section with losing finalists getting $2,000. The third best school will walk away $1,500 richer, leaving $1,200 for the last school.

A token of appreciation will be given to the girls’ teams since they are participating for the first time in the history of the Ingwebu Breweries tournament with the Bulawayo headquartered opaque beer brewers making an undertaking to fully sponsor the girl child from next year.

Host province Matabeleland North will be represented by two boys’ and an equal number of girls’ teams while Bulawayo and defending champions Matabeleland South will have a boys’ and girls’ team each.

Matabeleland North will have Malunku Primary School from Lupane and Lortandale from Bubi representing the province in the boys’ category while Tobwe and Nkayi Primary Schools will carry the province’s hopes in the girls’ competition.

Tournament favourites, Butshe Primary School from Bulilima district in Matabeleland South and their girls’ counterparts, Maphane will carry the defending champions’ hopes while surprise packages Robert Tredgold will be Bulawayo’s representatives.

Ingwebu Breweries’ sales, marketing and corporate affairs manager Prince Nkosana Ndlovu expressed satisfaction with the general organisation of the tournament so far and remains hopeful that today’s finale will bring a glittering closure to the 2014 football jamboree.

“As sponsors we are generally happy with how things have gone so far, we however, would have been happier if the children could be fed well before they enter the field especially the finalists,” said Ndlovu.

As has been the norm, Ndlovu revealed, his company would provide all the four boys’ finalists with a full set of playing kit, including football boots.

“We were told by education authorities that it’s now a requirement for the children to put on their boots whenever they are playing hence our decision to buy the equipment,” said Ndlovu.

No school has successfully defended the trophy since its inception in 1994 and last year’s winners, Nkankezi from Filabusi were knocked out in the provincial finals last month.

 

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