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Don Makanyanga,  Sports Reporter 

MINISTER of Sports, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry says Government is committed to seeing the success of the Fifa Football for Schools Project which was launched at Prince Edward in Harare yesterday.

Speaking at the launch of the programme, which is set to benefit 1 000 schools across the country, Coventry said government was committed to the implementation and smooth running of the program which is being run by Fifa, in collaboration with                                                                       Unesco. 

The event was graced by football administrators led by Zifa Normalisation Committee and its chairman Lincoln Mutasa, legendary former Zimbabwe goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, several grassroots football coaches and budding footballers. 

The football project aims to contribute to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children across the globe.

“We are really excited to see these programmes coming and working in full force.

“I was speaking with Bruce (Grobbelaar) earlier and he said when he was growing up, these programmes were consistent throughout the country and then they had sort of gone missing and now they are coming back.

“My ministry, Zifa and SRC and will do whatever we can to ensure that this programme is a success throughout,” said Coventry.

She also paid tribute to the support local football has been getting from the world football motherboard (Fifa) and the continental football motherboard Caf.

“I know this is a special project in the hearts of our Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who has spoken to me in person about the project, and I am very grateful that this is one of the first programs in our relationship of moving forward with Fifa and Caf.

“This is one of the first things he (Infantino) agreed and ensured that it would come quickly and it has come quickly and we want to thank the president of Fifa and his leadership team and our continental football president Mr (Patrice) Motsepe for the support that they are giving Zifa in this renewed spirit of bringing back the Zifa that we are all proud of, and will do justice to all of the talent that we have across the country,” she said.

The minister was impressed by the gender equality that was exhibited at the launch.

Minister Kirsty Coventry

“I want to also thank the Zifa Normalisation Committee, the Zifa executive and its team, they put a lot of thought into ensuring equal opportunities for boys and girls and men and women. 

“I am proud that the numbers that I was given were 50-50 in boys and girls, and 18 female coaches against 22 male coaches which I think is probably a first in a very long time,” said Coventry.

The Fifa Football for Schools (F4S) programme is a mass participation program targeting 4-14-years-olds that aims to contribute to education, development and empowerment of boys and girls across the globe. It has a global approach and reaches out to all 211 Fifa Member Associations.

 It is run by Fifa, in collaboration with Unesco, with the aim of contributing to the education, development and empowerment of around 700 million children.