Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Collin Matiza
3 July 2009
Harare — THE Sokhaya tournament, a soccer event designed for women living with HIV and Aids, is now going places.
Running under the stewardship of former Premier Soccer League chief executive Chris Sambo, the tournament was inaugurated in Harare in December last year.
It first involved 16 teams that were drawn from Harare's 13 districts, which are involved in looking after people living with HIV and Aids. And now the tournament has spread its wings.
It first moved to Mashonaland West where a team from Mhondoro -- Simbarashe Network for People Living with HIV and Aids - participated in a challenge match against ARV Swallows from Epworth on June 23.
Tomorrow, the Sokhaya tournament bandwagon moves to the Midlands town of Kwekwe where ARV Swallows, the winners of the inaugural Sokhaya Trophy, takes on a Kwekwe Select side at Amaveni Stadium. The match kicks-off at 2pm.
Sambo said like all the other teams that have been involved in this event, the Kwekwe Select side will be made of female players who are living with HIV and Aids. "This is all part of nation's campaign in raising awareness in combating the spread of this incurable disease.
"But the most important thing is that we would like to see these people getting involved in a sporting activity like soccer which gives them the opportunity to exercise as required of the them by medical doctors," Sambo said.
The former PSL boss said his project was now receiving a lot support from all the sectors of the community.
On June 23, when they held a five-a-side soccer challenge match between ARV Swallows and Simbarashe at Mbare's Netball Complex, the event was graced by Deputy President Joice Mujuru.
The Resident Governor for Harare Province, David Karimanzira, and the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Henry Madzorera, were also present at this event.
In her address to the gathering at the Mbare Netball Complex, Vice President Mujuru urged the society not to discriminate against people affected by the HIV and Aids pandemic.
She commended the people who came up with the concept of demystifying HIV and Aids through sport. The participants of the tournament were then presented with certificates and the winners of the event received maize seed, which was donated by Seedco.
A local petroleum company, Ekhaya Petroleum, who are the sponsors of the Sokhaya tournament, also presented the inaugural winners of the Sokhaya Trophy, ARV Swallows, with the prize money of US$2 000 at the same function.
In acknowledging this gesture, Sambo paid tribute to the financial sacrifice that the chairman of Ekhaya Petroleum, Tendai "Prince" Mupfurutsa, made for the cause of people living with HIV and Aids.
"In these times of financial hardships where the corporate world is almost dysfunctional, it is extremely gratifying that we have people like Tendai Mupfurutsa who are willing to spare a thought for other disadvantaged members of our society," Sambo said.
He also said that after tomorrow's event at Amaveni in Kwekwe, the Sokhaya tournament will move to Mashonaland East where it will be staged at Murehwa Centre at the end of this month.
Sambo is running the event with the help of the project's co-ordinator Tobias Sungayi Nyatito.
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