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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE national rugby sevens and Matabeleland Warriors player Nelson Madida has resumed his training programme and is targeting teaching Bulawayo western suburbs’ children and communities about the importance of good health and fitness.

Madida started his online training programme at the onset of the Covid-19 enforced lockdown in March last year, with the aim of helping fitness fanatics keep fit. Since then, the programme has attracted a good number of followers, with some participants based in South Africa and Namibia.

Having witnessed the training programme growing online and the Government relaxing lockdown restrictions late last year, Madida took the programme physically to communities in the city.

“We began with helping individuals that were interested in fitness training during the lockdown, but the programme grew to the extent we are now focusing on young kids from the age of five upwards. We have come up with branches in the western suburbs where these kids can go and get fitness training,” said Madida.

“For now, we have a base in Pumula South and Cowdray Park where kids are having free training. Step by step progressive growth is showing. My spouse Amanda Muyambo is at the forefront of these projects. The only thing that is lacking is funding; it is not easy to get sponsors for such a programme. But we realised children nowadays do not have much to do; they spend time in their homes because there are no recreational centres to talk of.

“So, with the small space that we have, we try to get these kids involved. We are trying to build a culture where our children stay healthy and motivated”.

He added that the recently imposed lockdown will see him place more energy on online training to help sportspersons keep fit for the duration of the lockdown. – @innocentskizoe.