Connect with us

Sports News

Artificial grass for NSS?

Published

on

The Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation is assessing the feasibility of having artificial turf fitted on the National Sports Stadium as part of the renovations to meet international standards.

This was said by Minister Kirsty Coventry during a tour of the Geo Pomona Waste Management sports and recreation facilities in Harare yesterday.

The project comprises two basketball courts, twin tennis courts, and a football pitch which recently got FIFA certification. Besides the FIFA approval for recreational football, the certification will also make the Geo Pomona artificial turf football pitch eligible for national team training.

Coventry was impressed by the quality of the pitch and revealed the Ministry was also planning something along those lines for the National Sports Stadium, which has been condemned by CAF and FIFA as unfit for international football after failing to meet the standards.

“As a country, all other soccer facilities focused on grass. But what we have here (at Geo Pomona) is showing that it (artificial turf) is a better quality to go with, potentially easier to maintain if you have got the right equipment, which Geo Pomona has said they do.

“FIFA won’t accredit unless the equipment is there to maintain. They have got good water. So that’s all that we have been looking at with other facilities because the grass is sometimes a little bit harder if you don’t have good and adequate water, maintenance, and the right lawnmowers; it can be very difficult.

“I know at our National Sports Stadium we have had to try and replace the grass over years and now you end up with several different types of grass and that’s not the best facility.

“So, we have also been looking at bringing in, as part of the revamping of the National Stadium, an astro-turf for the main stadium, keeping the grass in the B arena for now.

“So we are working towards that. I just asked for the contacts who brought in their (Geo Pomona) astro-turf so that we can measure up against the companies that have already brought it to us and we will go from there.

“But I think if there is the right management in place as well as all the other components and the right equipment, then an astro-turf is the way to go and that is what we will be advocating for as a Ministry for the National Sports Stadium,” said Coventry.

However, the experiment with artificial turf has in the past failed in Zimbabwe. FIFA in 2008 installed a synthetic turf at Rufaro Stadium under the FIFA Forward Programme but the surface degenerated and became unusable and a hazard to the players due to lack of maintenance.

It has since been removed.

With the 2026 World Cup qualifiers around the corner, Coventry responded to the news that 35,000 units of bucket seats to be installed at the National Sports Stadium have been purchased and are on the way to Zimbabwe.

“We are all excited,” she said.

“But I’ll confirm once they get here and have seen them with my own eyes because we all know what can happen with transport and logistics.

“So I don’t want to confirm that there is something that is arriving on a certain date. I am sure that my friends here at Geo Pomona can say the same because their turf took a bit longer when coming from outside the country.

“There are issues of clearance and things like that but we are excited to finally be very much moving forward in terms of our direction with the bucket seats.

“There has been some good management going on at the National Sports Stadium in terms of water reticulation; it’s an old building, so when you start digging up certain things there are other things that pop up.

But we are working with our engineers to ensure that everything is done safely,” said Coventry.

Coventry toured the Geo Pomona Waste Management facilities in the afternoon yesterday in the company of officials from the ministry.

She was briefed by Geo Pomona Waste Management chief executive officer Dilesh Nguwaya and the company’s General Manager Enea Murataj on how the company has turned around what used to be a smelly dumpsite into a world-class sporting facility in the last five months.

The project houses two high-quality tennis courts, two basketball courts, and a football pitch which recently got FIFA certification.

The FIFA certification will also make the artificial turf football pitch eligible for national team training.

“I think the facilities are incredible,” Coventry said after the tour.

“To think that once this was a massive dumpsite and to hear all the information and the work that has gone into the cleaning, the clearing, and the revamping and now to be standing on an astro-turf that is a high standard, internationally recognised, is incredible and I want to thank Geo Pomona Waste Management and the team for giving back into sport and recreation.”

Nguwaya said they are looking to construct terraces, and changing rooms, and add a restaurant at the facility.

“The important thing is that our national team will come and train here when they play against other teams that use this kind of turf. The other facilities to be added here include a restaurant, stands, and changing room,” said Nguwaya.

Continue Reading

Sports News

ConCourt Decision Marks Defeat for Farai Matsika in Croco Motors Ownership Conflict

Published

on

Harare businessman Farai Matsika has lost a crucial Constitutional Court (ConCourt) bid to appeal a Supreme Court ruling that favored his cousin and business rival, Moses Chingwena, along with Chingwena’s companies.

The conflict between Matsika and Chingwena centers around the ownership and management of Croco Motors and its subsidiaries. While Chingwena manages Croco Motors and other businesses, Matsika now oversees Faramatsi Motors and Doves Holdings.

Matsika asserted he owned 30% of the conglomerate, a claim Chingwena disputed. The cousins, who grew up together, built the US$100 million empire before their fallout.

Matsika argued that his substantial contribution to the business entitled him to a 30% ownership, which Chingwena later denied, effectively removing Matsika from the companies without compensation.

Chingwena countered that Matsika’s legal claims were based on false information and a fraudulent shareholders’ agreement, contending that Matsika lacked the legal standing to bring the case to court.

Also read:

The courts sided with Chingwena, determining Matsika was not a shareholder and his application did not meet legal standards, thus dismissing it with costs.

Matsika’s subsequent appeal to the Supreme Court also failed after procedural issues were addressed. Matsika then sought a review of the Supreme Court’s decision, arguing it was made by a single judge. The court declined, stating the request was essentially an appeal in disguise.

Undeterred, Matsika applied to the ConCourt for permission to appeal to the highest court. However, the ConCourt, with judges Anne-Marie Gowora, Ben Hlatshwayo, and Bharat Patel presiding, ruled against him, stating Matsika had not demonstrated a strong chance of success on appeal.

The application was dismissed without a costs order.

This ruling concludes Matsika’s legal battle, leaving him feeling exploited by his cousin, while Chingwena maintains a different perspective.

Professor Lovemore Madhuku represented Matsika, while Advocate Thabani Mpofu represented Chingwena and his companies.

Continue Reading

Sports News

Zimbabwe Cricket Announces New Coaching Staff for Senior Men’s National Team

Published

on

The selection of a new coaching staff for the Zimbabwe Senior Men’s National Team has been decided by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

ZC said in a statement released on July 4, 2024, that the coaching assignments follow the Mhishi Committee of Inquiry’s recommendations.

The team’s failure to qualify for the recently finished ICC Men’s T20 World Cup prompted the committee to look into the matter and offer recommendations. It stated:

The remaining technical staff members have now been revealed, after the introduction of Justin Sammons as Head Coach and Dion Ebrahim as Batting Coach last month.

Also read: Armed Robbers Target AFM Pastor, Escape with $15,000 in Bulawayo Raid

Coach of bowling will be former South African international cricketer Charl Langeveldt. Coaches of strength and conditioning and strategic performance will be fellow countrymen Ravish Gobind and Curtly Diesel.

Sammons was consulted before scheduling any appointments, and he decided to keep Stuart Matsikenyeri on as the team’s Fielding Coach. Amato Machikicho will remain the team’s Physiotherapist.

Zimbabwe Cricket has not yet finalised the Team Manager’s position, nevertheless.

Continue Reading

Sports News

The Uhuru Cup Venue Worries The Highlanders Coach.

Published

on

HIGHLANDERS coach Kelvin Kaindu is feeling cautious about the venue as his side prepares for the Independence Cup match against rivals Dynamos at Murambinda B High School in Manicaland.

Kaindu told the media that he can only be sure of how he is going to approach the upcoming battle after assessing the pitch since it’s not a stadium.

ALSO READ : Stage set for Uhuru celebrations : Zimbabwe’s 44th Independence Day

“We are not sure of the environment or in terms of the pitch that we are going to play, so I think that will also determine the type of football we are going to play.

“The pitch does affect everything interms of the equipment, I mean the soccer boots that the players use, so there are a number of factors when playing at such venues.

“Looking at the photos that we saw they are working on the field but we are hoping to see it physically and strategisize,” he said.

Highlanders are the defending champions of the Uhuru Cup after beating Dynamos 5-3 on penalties in Mt Darwin last year.

Bosso comes into Thursday’s encounter with confidence over their rivals whom they 2-0 on the opening day of the ongoing league marathon, marking Kaindu’s first win against Dynamos in his coaching career in Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, both Highlanders and Dynamos have arrived in Murambinda ahead of the the big game.

The two sides travelled to the venue on Tuesday.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.