Chigumbura helping ckt by opening 'Aspired Cricket Academy''

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura is planning to establish a cricket academy in Harare. Chigumbura hopes the project, named 'Aspired Cricket Academy', will be up and running by August this year and will target primary school children from schools that do not currently have cricket programmes.

"I have gained so much from playing the game, so I thought I should give back in a big way," Chigumbura told The Independent. "I love cricket so much that even when I stop playing I will still be a big fan so I am contributing in my own way to make sure that the future of the sport in the country is bright.

"We have the Interfin Bank Cricket Academy catering for secondary and high school students and I thought we should have something for the primary schools so that we generate interest at an earlier stage."

Chigumbura is in negotiations to secure land in Borrowdale, in Harare's northern suburbs, for the academy. He has decided to take on a lot of the expense himself, but is also hoping to secure corporate sponsorship, particularly for the purchase of cricket equipment. He estimates that the academy needs about US$50,000 to get off the ground, which will go towards securing land, equipment, and appropriate playing and practice facilities.

"It's an expensive project which will require that I get sponsorship but the important thing is to get it running first then I am sure we can generate corporate interest once in motion."

Chigumbura plans for the academy to be operational throughout the year with permanent coaches to run it when he is committed with the national team or his domestic franchise. He's also hoping some of his team-mates will be interested in helping out.

He has already teamed up with fellow Zimbabwe cricketers Prosper Utesya, Tinashe Panyangara, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer and Hamilton Masakadza to conduct holiday cricket sessions at Prince Edward School in Harare from April 18 to 30. The players are hoping the sessions, which are free and open to children between seven to 12 years old, will become a yearly event and have sent out invitations to schools.

[Maweni]

Creative April Fool's gag Dr Site

[bayhaus]

Nice one!!!! My first thought was I need to get in touch with this dude to brand this academy...

He has already teamed up with fellow Zimbabwe cricketers Prosper Utesya, Tinashe Panyangara, Craig Ervine, Graeme Cremer and Hamilton Masakadza to conduct holiday cricket sessions at Prince Edward School in Harare from April 18 to 30. The players are hoping the sessions, which are free and open to children between seven to 12 years old, will become a yearly event and have sent out invitations to schools.

Thats not a bad idea though!

[aydee]

Creative April Fool's gag Dr Site

This is lifted straight from cricinfo, I don't think it is a gag...

[bayhaus]

Hey I think this is for real cos its on cricinfo, almost commented there to say it was a gag, until I thought let me just come back here and check,. The figures sound very suspicious though $50 000 for everything?! Sounds to little. But will see.

[hhm]

Talk about opening an academy, at the rate he's going, probably wouldn't be a bad idea if he enrolled in one himself for a year or two!! The guy is supposed to be a bowling allrounder - he'll never be accomplished enough as batsmen - but how many overs has he sent down in the last year or so for Zim!

[Dr_Situ(ZimFanatic)]

Talk about opening an academy, at the rate he's going, probably wouldn't be a bad idea if he enrolled in one himself for a year or two!! The guy is supposed to be a bowling allrounder - he'll never be accomplished enough as batsmen - but how many overs has he sent down in the last year or so for Zim!

He was carrying an injury

[hhm]

Talk about opening an academy, at the rate he's going, probably wouldn't be a bad idea if he enrolled in one himself for a year or two!! The guy is supposed to be a bowling allrounder - he'll never be accomplished enough as batsmen - but how many overs has he sent down in the last year or so for Zim!

He was carrying an injury

And yet the combined might of selectors' cricketing minds saw it fit to pick him as an allrounder ahead of Butterworth & Chibhabha. Our team selection is really in safe hands - of that I have no doubt!

[bayhaus]

IS THIS FOR REAL? Not a good idea at all, Open academies when you have retired. PLEASE while you are still active concentarte on playing. Maybe he is thinking of retiring?

[ZIMDOGGY]

Chigumburas academy?

You go in the front door good enough to be on the fringe of playing for the Zimboks....

You'll leave the backdoor on the fringe of playing for the Botswana 2nd 11.