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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
AS part of its efforts to revive cricket at the grassroots level, Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Recreation is hosting a five-day cricket coaching clinic at Bulawayo Athletic Club.

Over 40 participants comprising schools, districts, wards and community coaches are attending the course that ends on Friday.

ZC facilitators, Trevor Phiri and Chris Phiri are conducting the workshop aimed at setting up vibrant grassroots development systems in the city.

Provincial Sports Officer, Rita Kutsirayi, said the training of school teachers was their main priority.

“We are very happy with the turnout. Our main priority is to revive grassroots cricket. Once we’ve revived schools cricket, which I believe is the foundation of the game, l believe the sport will be on the rise in the country.

Therefore, it is important to train school teachers so that they are empowered to coach pupils. Not every school can afford to appoint top coaches, so it means for our young athletes to get proper training, their trainers, who are teachers, have to master the right cricket basics,” said Kutsirayi.

“Besides the training of teachers, the whole idea is for those we train to go and impart their newly acquired knowledge to their communities. We expect them to conduct workshops and training courses in their communities. From there they will have to form clubs they will take charge of. This will ensure that cricket is played all over the city,” she said.

A similar workshop was held in Bulawayo last year, with 24 participants taking part in the exercise conducted by Francis Rashikayi, the ZC rural cricket manager.

After that workshop ZC handed cricket equipment, including balls, bats and metal wickets to all five districts in Bulawayo. — @innocentskizoe