Christmas a time to recharge

Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
MOST sports personalities will spend Christmas Day with their families, using the holiday to recharge batteries after a long exhausting year that was filled with anxiety and uncertainty.

The return of sporting activities in the last quarter of the year brought about lots of activities in different sport codes as they tried to comply with new standard operating procedures brought about by Covid-19.

Sport codes like football, athletics and cricket were fortunate to have more activities while others laid foundations to resume their programmes after a two-year hiatus.

Sports personalities will reflect on the just ended year and psyche themselves up for a hectic 2022.

Below are some sports personalities’ responses on how they’ll spend the festive season.

Martin Shone (Zimbabwe Rugby Union vice-president): “Christmas is a time for family and as you know rugby is a family sport, so we would like to wish everyone happy holidays and always remember to wear your mask and sanitise and please don’t drink and drive.

“We are also going to be laying to rest one of our family members Zivanai Dzinomurumbi on Christmas Day in Masvingo. He passed away on the 23rd of December following a long illness.”

Joey Antipas (Chicken Inn FC coach) said: “I’m in Kariba right now enjoying with family and friends. Will be doing some good bream fishing. This is the time to wind off and just relax.”

Njabulo Ncube (Zimbabwe cricket bowling coach) said: “I’ll be doing some cricket coaching clinics and games ekasi (western suburbs). On the 28th of December we are planning to play the last games of the year.

“I’m also a full time farmer, so farming will take up most of my time.”

Lucky Mlilo (Squash coach) said : “With Covid-19 around, I am not travelling out of town.

I will also continue with webinar meetings preparing for 2022 squash tournaments and the 2023 Africa Games.

Just had the last 2021 Squash Federation of Africa SFA board meeting last night (Thursday night).”

Russell Mhiribidi (Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe president) said : “The last quarter of the year has been a busy one for me so I will spend the holidays with my family at home recharging and finalising plans for 2022.

Just the odd lunch out with family will do as I have been travelling extensively on sport business during this last quarter.”

Kennedy Ndebele (PSL chief executive officer) said : “I will be home with the family.

This is the time to relax, wind down the year, charge batteries and look forward to 2022.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish friends, colleagues and associates a merry and safe Christmas.”

Martin Chikwana (Zimbabwe Golf Association president) said : “I’ll be going to Buhera, my home area to spend time with my siblings and children.

Eat delicacies we grew up eating, goat meat, amathumbu.

I can’t wait to see my siblings, people I grew up with in the rural areas and neighbours while we chill and catch up.

We’ll do traditional beer and come together with neighbours and have a party.

“Next year will be a busy one for ZGA and we will send a team to South Africa in February, another team will go to Angola for a week.

Another team should be going to France for two weeks, while a juniors team will go to Tokyo and seniors head to Cairo. So it’s going to be packed, lots of travelling for golfers.

So, it’s time to recharge the batteries and what a better way to recharge than being in the rural areas.

“Hopefully the roads will be kind to us. As ZGA president, I wish all the golfers throughout the country happy holidays and a Merry Christmas.”

Gerald Mlotshwa (Sports and Recreation Commission chairman): “Christmas for my wife and I is a time for family.

This year Christmas is with the Mlotshwa side of the family, and New Year’s will be with my wife’s side, the Mnangagwas.

“With overseas travel presently suspended or complicated by Covid-19 variants, we shelved travel plans and opted for Christmas at a private lodge in the bush here in Zimbabwe.

We are likely to find another place in the bush for New Year  as well. It really doesn’t matter where as long as we are with family.”- @ZililoR

Article Source: The Chronicle