It was a vibrant atmosphere at the Mutare Polytechnic sports grounds on the 27February 2026 as the college hosted its annual Principal’s Trophy Championship.
The event brought the academic calendar to a standstill as students and lecturers traded their books for boots and bats in a spirited display of sporting excellence.
The day saw fierce but friendly competition across a variety of disciplines, including soccer, netball, darts, lawn and table tennis, cricket, karate, chess, korfball, volleyball, basketball and athletics, with participants showcasing their talent and vying for a chance to don the institution’s colours at a bigger stage.
Officially opening the proceedings, the Mutare Polytechnic Principal, Ms. Poniso Watema, delivered a powerful message to the assembled dignitaries, staff, and students, emphasising that no sporting code was superior to another.
“Every discipline represented here carries equal honor and equal dignity. There’s no small sport. There’s only the will to compete, the heart to endure and the character to do so with grace,” she said.
Ms. Watema urged the athletes to treat the tournament with the utmost seriousness, revealing that the games serve as the primary selection platform for the team that will carry the institution’s flag high.
“The performances you deliver in these grounds, the commitment you demonstrate in the coming weeks and the character you show under pressure will all inform which athlete will carry the green and gold of Mutare Polytechnic Technical Education Sports Association of Zimbabwe (TESAZ) games which will be held in Bulawayo,” she added.
The College’s Sports Director, Simbarashe Chahweta, highlighted the rigorous nature of the selection process and what lies ahead.
“This Principal’s Trophy is our mini-Olympics. Chahweta said.
“We are not just looking for raw talent; we are looking for players with discipline and mental fortitude. Going to Bulawayo to face other colleges is a different ball game altogether. We need teams that understands that representing Mutare Polytechnic is a privilege and a responsibility. We want to bring those trophies back home.”he said.
The soccer team’s head coach, Happison Magezi, put the players through their paces and on the sidelines, said the tournament was a success in unearthing raw gems.
“I was particularly impressed with the tactical awareness displayed by some of the first-year students. There is a lot of raw talent here,” Coach Mangezi said.
“We have identified a strong nucleus. However, fitness levels will need to improve if we are to compete in Bulawayo. The TESAZ Games are a different beast you are playing against the best in the polytechnics. We have a few weeks to fine-tune our combinations and work on our stamina. The foundation laid here is good, but the hard work starts now, “he said.
For the students, the Principal’s Trophy is more than just an inter-departmental bragging right; it is a gateway to representative honours.
Tanaka Mafuta, a basketball player who netted a game-winning shot. for the victorious Engineering side, expressed his eagerness to secure a spot in the final squad travelling to Bulawayo.
“This means everything to us. When the Principal said this is where the team is chosen, the intensity on the pitch went up a notch. We all want to be part of the first five team that goes to Bulawayo for TESAZ. We heard the standard there is very high, but we believe we have the players to do the that. We just need to keep our heads down in training,” Mafuta said.
