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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
CALLS have been made for the Government to intervene in the alleged rampant age cheating by Masvingo province in schools’ competitions.

There are fears that if the scourge goes unchecked, Zimbabwe might be embarrassed at the Confederation of Schools Sport Associations of Southern Africa (Cossasa) Games.

Sports directors that spoke to Chronicle Sport said the province’s appetite for success at all costs has seen it throwing dictates of fair play out of the window, with some powerful and well connected schools in the province working in cahoots with corrupt officials from the Registry Department to alter athletes’ ages with reckless abandon.

One of the schools is also being used as a sister academy by a Harare-based academy run by a former Warriors’ player, who is also in the structures of the junior national team technical bench.

The latest scam involved a player from Mwenezi High School, who played for the Under-14s despite being way above that age in the COPA Coca Cola girls’ tournament. Mwenezi finished third at the national finals and banked $1 600 after beating Vainona 1-0 in the third place play off in Bindura on Saturday.

Chidyamakono from Masvingo emerged champions with a similar score line over Mamunyadza Secondary of Buhera, Manicaland.

Mwenezi High used one Tanyaradzwa Mukuna, who was born on June 20, 1999, in their match against Rufaro High and despite complaints by Rufaro High, nothing was done. Mwenezi High headmaster Cuthbert Chuma is the National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) chairperson for Masvingo.

“Our competitions are used, as you know, to select athletes for the regional Cossasa Games and if Masvingo continues to use over aged athletes, we will be embarrassed when they are disqualified in the Cossasa Games and that will paint a bad image of the country. Nash and the National Association of Primary School Heads (Naph) seem reluctant to rein in Masvingo and we don’t know why really. Be it in athletics or ball games, there are always complaints against Masvingo, but nothing happens,” said one sports director.

Nash national head-in-charge of soccer Albert Macheka denied that they were treating Masvingo with kids’ gloves and urged those with evidence of age cheating to follow normal grievance channels.

“We do not like people who cheat, but we also expected the province to get to the bottom of this. If they don’t do so, concerned parties must follow proper complaint channels and the national leadership will certainly act by taking drastic measures,” said Macheka.

Nash national president Johnson Madhuku comes from Masvingo province and is the headmaster of Pamushana High School, a sporting powerhouse. — @skhumoyo2000