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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

FORMER Warriors and Highlanders midfielder Richard Choruma and his associates will hold a two-day training camp for footballers between the ages of 17 and 22 at St Columba’s High School, Makokoba, Bulawayo.

The training camp powered by Dabuka Express Sports Consultancy starts today and ends tomorrow. 

It is open to out-of-contract players as well as junior players who are keen to benefit from life skills coaching to be done by former footballers, investment and education experts.

Choruma, nicknamed Dabuka Express will train the players alongside former Warriors players, Ronald “Gidiza” Sibanda and Johannes Ngodzo, ex-Highlanders and Dynamos’ Danisa Phiri, ex-Bosso player Gift Lunga (junior), Mayfield Daka and Fortune “Fokoza” Ncube.

Daka, the consultancy’s spokesperson, said: “We have outsourced experts from different spheres to come and share their knowledge with the youngsters. We’ve previously done talent identification exercises through holding football tournaments in rural areas but this one is different in the sense that we’ve people who will give life skills to these youngsters.

“Besides former soccer players, we’ve got former Zifa education officer Brian Moyo and a financial advisor who will talk to the youngsters about how to invest when they sign contracts, how to behave as an athlete among other topics.

“We’ve also noted that as Bulawayo we are losing lots of talented youngsters who decide to quit football after signing for clubs and failing to play. We are saying to these boys, be patient and we will coach them on how to stay focused even if they are not regulars. “So, all the boys who’ve just finished their Ordinary and Advanced Levels, those between the ages of 17 and 22 years are free to attend our programme.”

Dabuka Express Sports Consultancy is an organisation that was formed after a realisation of the need to keep football alive by continuously exposing talent that will drive the growth and depth of the game.

“This is a collective effort of renowned sports people led by Choruma and others. The consultancy offers a variety of sporting consultative services that include training, scouting, career guidance and representation,” said Daka. Some of the consultancy’s directors include Daka and the United Kingdom-based pair of Kevin Marley and Washington Ngwenya. — @ZililoR