The Herald
By Zecheaus Nemadire
18 May 2013
EAGLESVALE Senior School is hosting over 25 schools for the three-day Mark Manolios Hockey Festival which kicked off yesterday and runs until tomorrow. The festival features Under-19 boys’ teams from all over the country.
Schools from as far as Chiredzi, Bulawayo and Mutare will take part in this year’s festival at which top hockey playing schools will join the fun.
Festival director Hilton Zuze said the festival brings together both top and new hockey playing schools and it was meant to honour Mark Manolios, president of the Zimbabwe Hockey Association, who initiated the event over 30 years ago.
“This festival was named after our sponsor who is also the president of the Zimbabwe Hockey Association, Mark Manolios. He has been instrumental in bringing the sport on the national sports calendar and that is why he deserves to be honoured.
“He supported hockey for over 30 years now and he became the sport’s main sponsor under the schools umbrella. The National Hockey Association gave him lifetime presidential honour so as schools our appreciation comes every year when we stage festivals of this calibre,†said Zuze.
All teams who are taking part this year will get a token of appreciation from Mark Manolios while the most disciplined team will be awarded with an all-round trophy. Over the years the festival has drawn hundreds of people and so much to the delight of the namesake Mark Manolios who is going to grace the event in the company of the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, David Coltart.
“We are very excited to host such a big festival, our main aim this year is to push the sport to rural schools and all other schools that felt maybe the sport was for the elite. We are going to have our Minister of Education, David Coltart who is coming on board to address several issues pertaining to the scarceness of the sport in the country and probably try to make them feel the importance of the game,†Zuze said.
Harare is being represented by 12 schools followed by Bulawayo with four, while Masvingo and Mutare have the least number of schools with three and one respectively. The games which started yesterday will run until Sunday morning. A festival select side to be put together by the selectors will play against a Mark Manolios invitational squad at 10.00am tomorrow.
Unlike most competitions, the winner will not be determined by the number of points amassed. Instead the trophy will be awarded to be best all-round team based on discipline on and off the playing field and sportsmanship.
Mark Manolios Sports will also award gift vouchers for various player awards that will be decided on by the umpires and the coaches.
Schools participating this year include Peterhouse College, Watershed, Lomagundi, Hillcrest, Chipadze, SOS Herman Gmeiner, Mazowe, Petra, Christian Brothers College, Falcon College, Kyle, South Eastern College, Hippo Valley, Midlands Christian College, Goldridge, Eaglesvale, St George’s, St John’s College, Gateway, Heritage, Hellenic, Churchill, Prince Edward, Allan Wilson, Mt Pleasant, Westridge, and St Ignatius.
Just like the just-ended Cottco Schools Rugby Festival, Cool Lifestyle will play a leading role at the festival by keeping you posted on events both on and off the field. Don’t miss out!!