Munyawiri (11), a Grade five pupil at Gwinyiro Primary School in Mufakose, is ranked number three in Zimbabwe in the Under-12 age group. Valentine was winner in the Under-10 2010 Mutare Juniors Open and runner up in the 2011 Harare Juniors Under-12.
Maduma (11), also doing Grade Five at Marimba Primary School in Mufakose, is ranked number four in Zimbabwe in the Under-12 category. He reached the quarter finals of the 2011 Midlands Junior Open, and was quarter finalist in the 2011 Harare Juniors, semi-finalist of the 2011 Matabeleland Juniors and 2010 winner of the Under-10 Astra Paints Highlands Junior Open. Maduma won a gold medal for Zimbabwe in 2010 when he was invited to play at an ITF Junior Tournament where 12 countries took part.
Mutize (11), a Grade seven pupil at Gwinyiro Primary School, is ranked number seven in the Zimbabwe Under-12 girls category. she was selected into the Zimbabwe team Under-10 and participated in an ITF junior tournament in 2010. he has reached quarter finals stages of several local tournaments.
Zvaravanhu added that these kids drew their inspiration from mediocre facilities they used compared to those used by their counterparts in the northern suburbs who have state-of-the-art facilities.
“We have rather sub-standard facilities to the extent that we resort to using car parks as courts, but this does not deter their attention at all.”
Zvaravanhu challenged parents to give maximum support to their children who would have decided to take sport seriously.
“It is always good to get parental support in everything that you do as a kid. Parents have to know that sport can be pursued as a career by playing, coaching or being an administrator. I therefore urge all parents with kids playing any form of sport to rally behind them, whenever they are playing,” he concluded.
