Mat North loses Naph event hosting

Athletic boys under 20 100m

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
MATABELELAND North has been stripped of the right to play host to the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) track and field athletics competition after heads felt the province doesn’t have acceptable accommodation facilities for them.

The heads reportedly want to be accommodated in hotels during the four-day jaunt.

A school head from Matabeleland North said they were all shocked by the reasons the Naph national executive proffered for moving the event to Bulawayo.

“The event was supposed to be held in Hwange, but some heads in the Naph national executive somehow moved it to Bulawayo, arguing that Matabeleland North does not have acceptable accommodation facilities for their standards, despite the event being for learners and not them,” said the head, who asked for anonymity for fear of victimisation.

The Naph national executive’s decision to strip Matabeleland North of the hosting rights comes barely a year after the province successfully hosted the bigger Zimbabwe National Youth Games.

“Some of these school heads just want to enjoy luxurious lives at the expense of kids because the money they will use to sleep in hotels is paid by parents and in any event, shouldn’t it be more about the kids than them. After all, the heads won’t be doing anything other than gobbling allowances and school funds. Responsible authorities must stop this madness,” said a teacher from the province.

Naph national head-in-charge of athletics Aeneas Nhoro confirmed that this year’s athletics event will be held in Bulawayo, although the hosting province will remain Matabeleland North.

He cited some “logistical challenges” as the reason for the shift.

“Our event will be held from March 20-23 in Bulawayo at White City Stadium, although Matabeleland North will be the host province. It had to be moved due to some logistical issues with Matabeleland North,” said Nhoro.

Naph president Cynthia Khumalo, the head of Chinotimba Primary School in Victoria Falls, however, said Matabeleland North province actually requested to have the event moved to Bulawayo.

“It was actually the provincial leadership that requested that the event be moved to Bulawayo,” said Khumalo. Naph successfully held its national athletics competition at the Colliery Stadium in Hwange in 2014.

Efforts to get a comment from the Naph Matabeleland North chairperson James Daka were fruitless as his mobile phone number was not reachable.

@skhumoyo2000

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