BY SPORTS REPORTER HARARE businessman Shelton Paza recently hosted a schools sports tournament under his company Pavcon brand at Mupereki Primary School in Mamina, Mhondoro.
Paza, the founder and MD of Pavcon Industries, a leading concrete pavement manufacturer, is a product of Mupereki Primary School.
He said the sports jamboree, running under the banner Pavcon Tournament, would be an annual event and is part of his company’s community obligation.
“It is with great pleasure that we convene here at Mupereki Primary School, a school that I am happy to be associated with, as a former student, as Pavcon Industries complements government’s efforts in fulfilling the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1, through this humble corporate social responsibility initiative,” Paza said this during handing over of prizes at the tournament.
“As a person who connects strongly with his roots, I believe this is the place where the seeds of Pavcon Industries were sowed; hence, it was only befitting that Mupereki Primary School hosts this event.”
He said sports played an important role in the life of youths, hence the need to hold the event every year.
“Sport has changed the lives of many Zimbabweans namely, Benjani Mwaruwari, Peter Ndlovu, Kirsty Coventry, Derick Chisora, Alphonso Zvenyika, Marvellous Nakamba, Khama Bhilliat and Knowledge Musona, among others.
“It’s sad to note that the youths of today are being led astray by rogue businessmen and women, who advance the use of drugs to our future leaders.
“Many youths are being admitted to mental health institutions because of drug abuse. The vice is stealing and misdirecting the bloodline of the nation.”
He appealed to other stakeholders to chip in and keep the tournament going in future.
“We have engaged schools in this area to participate in different sporting disciplines in a bid to support skills nurturing and development,” he said.
“The Pavcon Tournament has just commenced and requires support and participation by all stakeholders in this group such that it becomes a seasonal tournament to be held annually.”
Paza said the aim was to have participating schools benefit from attending and winning the sporting competition and create synergies among schools within Mamina.
The host school Mupereki Primary School swept the majority of prizes while Dondoshava Primary School won the soccer tournament.
Former Dynamos player Edward Sadomba, who had a four-year stint in the lucrative Sudanese topflight league, was among guests who graced the tournament.
Actress and film producer Eunice Tava, a product of Mupereki Primary School was also in attendance.