By Sports Reporter
United Kingdom-based social kit manufacturer Leyburn Sports will be Zimbabwe’s official kit sponsor at the 2019 Homeless World Cup set for Cardiff City in July this year.
The Zimbabwe coordinating partner to the Homeless World Cup, Young Achievement Sports Development (YASD), made the announcement on Friday.
Zimbabwe did well as the Mexico City event in November last after finishing a commendable 14th place out 40 countries that participated.
Former Warriors kit sponsor Mafro Sport had offered to provide the kit for the Homeless World Cup team, but reneged on their commitment at the last minute.
“We would like to thank Leyburn Sports for supporting and promoting the work we do of using the power of football to energise the homeless and socially excluded people so they can change their own lives,” YASD public relations manager Joe Kaseka said.
Interestingly, Leyburn Sports provides kit for local premiership side Bulawayo City as well as Matabeleland Football Confederacy.
The organisation also helps clubs and communities by raising funds and supplying kits.
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“YASD is delighted to be associated with Leyburn Sports and most importantly their commitment to provide kits to disadvantaged communities across the world. This partnership will not only bring hope to various marginalised and vulnerable communities, but will shine the light to those in need,” Kaseka said.
The deal is a boost as it comes just a week before YASD begin the selection process for the team to represent the country at the Homeless World Cup, which is pencilled for June.
“We have lined up Chitungwiza as our first port of call for our selection process before we proceed to Ruwa on the March 3 weekend. We are working with coaches from those communities who will do preliminary selection and we will do the final selection,” he said.
In Mexico, Zimbabwe scored a first by fielding a player living with albinism Douglas Masiyazi.
This time around the organisers are looking to send a mixed team comprising of five men and three women for the four-a-side global tournament.
Selection should have been concluded by the end of March.
“We would have wanted to take two teams one male and one female, but time has run out and also the air tickets are quite expensive considering that we have to pay in US dollars,” Kaseka established.
YASD has also been in touch with Wales-based Warriors defender Alec Mudimu, who has agreed in principle to motivate the team at the coming Homeless World Cup YASD is a youth-led communitybased organisation that uses sports to impact the lives of youths from slums or informal communities, exposed to drug abuse, poverty, gangs and other social ills.
The organisation helps disadvantaged young people to attain an education or life skills and developing role models and community leaders from the orphaned and vulnerable children, participating in its programmes.
