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Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
FORMER football giants Zimbabwe Saints are set to bounce back this season with the club’s board of trustees saying they will start from junior level. The once illustrious Chikwata were thrown out of the Zifa Southern Region Division One Soccer league after failing to pay $2,500 affiliation fees and spent last season plotting their return.

At a meeting of the club’s board of trustees on Tuesday evening, it was resolved to have Zimbabwe Saints take their first step towards re-establishing themselves as a powerhouse by affiliating with the Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province’s Junior and Division Two Soccer Leagues.

“There are no shortcuts to success and as such as a board of trustees we agreed that the club should have a strong foundation which is setting up proper structures and start from the basics which is at junior level.

“If you look at the history of Zimbabwe Saints you will discover that it was a force to reckon with because of a vibrant junior policy and that is the route we’re taking,” said Vincent Pamire, a spokesman for the club’s board of trustees.

He said they will start from the Under-14s to Under-18s. The Under-18 team will compete in Division Two.

“The plan is to have Zimbabwe Saints back in the Premiership in about five years because we believe that if we develop and nurture talent over three to four years, we should be challenging for promotion into the top flight league.

“Football in Bulawayo has not be that exciting without Zimbabwe Saints so if we come back we are going to even push our brothers Highlanders to work even harder,” said Pamire

The Zifa Bulawayo Metropolitan Province chairman Washington Chimhanda yesterday said they will accommodate Zimbabwe Saints in Division Two Soccer League if they are cleared by the Zifa Southern Region.

What Chikwata needs is a strong financial backing to revive the club.

Pamire said a budget has been drafted and is awaiting approval by members.

“As you are aware Zimbabwe Saints is a community club and there are many people who are passionate about this institution. Tomorrow Gibson Homela is going to Harare to meet some of our members and brief them on what transpired at our Tuesday meeting and after getting the feedback from the guys in the capital, we will then implement what would have been agreed,” said Pamire.

The board of trustees will surrender all operations to an executive committee to be elected in due course with Pamire saying only paid up members will be allowed to vote.

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After a new executive is ushered into office, the board of trustees will revert to its advisory role.