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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter

THE National Association of Secondary School Heads (Nash) has resolved to continue the freeze on sporting activities this school term and urged schools to use the extended sports’ holiday to prepare for full resumption of activities next year.

Sports at secondary schools had resumed in mid-June after a two-year break but were suspended in July after it emerged that not a single province had managed to vaccinate 70 percent of the learners as required by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The schools were advised in May that non-contact sporting activities could only resume if 70 percent of pupils received their second dose of the vaccine.

Having noted that none had achieved this, the Nash president Arthur Maphosa called for a freeze of all sporting action in July. Yesterday, Maphosa announced that the suspension has not been lifted.

“Following our assumed non-attainment of the 70 percent vaccination levels and the subsequent suspension of all sporting activities, we agreed to use the rest of 2022 as a preparation period for full resumption of all sporting activities in 2023.

“We urge all schools to use this period and sports levies thus collected to prepare sports fields, pay subscriptions and prepare grounds and also to buy the requisite sports attire for our various school teams.

“This in our view will help decongest demand for funds as we start sport in 2023.

“We sincerely regret all inconveniences caused by change in goalposts regarding commencement of sport in secondary schools,” said Maphosa.

Nash has however decided to go ahead with the Proton and Surrey sponsored boys Under-20 football tournament.

“We are also happy to announce that despite the sad news as given above, Proton and Surrey did launch the football Under-20 boys competition for this year and have poured in USD$20 000.

“They are keen to have this competition run this year. As recipients of this  kind of sponsorship package, Nash cannot let it go.

“It is in this regard that we have decided to seriously engage the ministry and all involved so that we are allowed to host this competition.

“As we engage the principals, we urge provinces to prepare for this competition whose finals are set for 6 and 7 October at Kwekwe High School.

“We will continue to update on the engagement with the Ministry. But it’s important that we ensure that all our Under-20 boys  participants are vaccinated fully and they must have their vaccination cards in place,” said Maphosa.

School sports play a huge role as a talent nurturing ground and feeder system for the country’s professional sporting disciplines.

National schools competitions have over the years been a good ground for talent identification and some of the identified pupils ended up playing professional football locally and abroad.

National competitions such as the Copa Coca-Cola, Nash and Naph athletics competitions have been a stepping stone for a number of successful sportspersons in the country. —   @innocentskizoe