Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
CHRISTMAS presents a time to meet loved ones, catch up and give gifts, while being merry.
A majority of sports personalities spoken to have indicated that they will spend Christmas Day with people who are close to them on today’s special day.
Football legend Zenzo Moyo, who celebrated his 47th birthday yesterday, is among a host of sports personalities who will share “warmly meals” with their families.
“I’ll be with my family and a couple of friends. We’ll go to church for the Christmas service, then share gifts and have some warm meals to cap the day. Obviously, when we meet there are festivities and we will be celebrating the gift of life,” Moyo said.
Below is how some of the sports personalities will spend their day and they are:
Godwin Dube (Bulawayo Metropolitan Cricket Association chairperson): I will be having a braai at home with friends and family. With obviously a few alcoholic drinks.
Walter Chawaguta (Tuskers head coach): I’ve decided to spend the holidays outside Zimbabwe for a change.
Lucky Mlilo (Squash Rackets Association of Zimbabwe president): I will be home relaxing. I don’t like travelling during holidays.
Ottilia Kurebwaseka (Zimbabwe Korfball secretary-general): I will be home with my nieces who have visited. Will take them out for a treat after church.
Norman Mapeza
Martin Shone (Zimbabwe Rugby Union vice-president south): I will be spending Christmas with my family. Zimbabwe Rugby would like to wish everyone happy holidays and be safe.
Thesly Mufunda (Tennis Zimbabwe convener of selectors and Bulawayo Metropolitan Tennis Board vice-chairperson): I will be with the in-laws and maybe have a little braai, but will get back straight into training to prepare athletes for the Africa Junior Championships.
Francis Dube (Bulawayo Basketball Association secretary-general): Will spend the day in Richmond with my mother and other family members.
Zenzo Moyo
Patrick Mkondiwa (World Boxing Organisation referee): My day will start with a church service together with my family, I am a Catholic. After that we go home for breakfast and braai in the afternoon. As you know this year I travelled a lot so I will spend the whole Christmas watching TV at home and having fun with the kids.
Sean Williams (Zimbabwe Cricket Test captain): I will spend my Christmas Day with my wife and kids at my brother’s house with the rest of our family.
Gilbert Nyamutsamba (Bulawayo Metropolitan Football Rugby Board director of rugby): Xmas at home with family and making every minute count.
Nhlanhla Dube
Phawulani Ngwenya (Bulawayo Amateur Swimming association chairperson): I’ll spend time with family and also visit some of the family members we couldn’t visit during the season as we spend weekends at the pool. Will go to church and also visit the grandparents we last saw about six months back before the season started.
Martin Chikwana (Zimbabwe Golf Association president): Like a typical African, a typical Zimbabwean, Christmas time is spent with the loved ones. I’ll go to the rural areas. I’m going to Buhera to spend time with my local people and be able to reminiscent what happened during the year. Slaughter goats and have some traditional brew.
Yvonne Mangunda (Zimbabwe Cricket Women Media and Communications manager): I love a traditional Christmas spent with family. So it will be me, my husband and my two kids Ethan and Claire. Firstly we will attend divine service at New Apostolic Church Highfield congregation then go home, braai and chill. I am all for food, food and more food on Christmas with my family.
Philani “Beefy” Ncube
Philani “Beefy” Ncube (Nico United coach): I’m heading home to spend time with my family but not forget the task ahead. At least I’m going to Xmas with a win. We beat Extension Gunners 1-0 on Thursday.
Norman Mapeza (FC Platinum coach): I’m in Nyanga, for the holidays.
Nhlanhla Dube (ex-Highlanders chief executive officer): The Xmas holiday for me is a time for family in its broadest definition. The African in me fuses the day with remembering and celebrating family past and present. To that end, I’ll be ekhaya koGodlwayo breathing the air where I was birthed and lost my umbilical cord remembering those of my lineage who welcomed me to this world but have now departed from it. I will certainly find time to walk the bush searching for amathunduluka, umswantsha lentakubomvu.
Petros Mhari (FC Platinum captain): Will be spending my day with my family, my mom and friends in Harare. We left Gokwe today.
Jafet Ndebele (former national team rugby player): Spending the Christmas at the plot with family and friends.
Thulani Tabulawa (former rugby player): I will be spending time with my immediate family as we have been through a lot this year and need time out with my family to recover and relate and refocus.
Tendai Tagara (National Athletics Association of Zimbabwe president): Braai with family and I will first pray for all those who made my year great, especially the Naaz family.
Mkhokheli Dube (former footballer): I will play soccer in the morning and then head home to be with Mom and family and chill all day.
Kudzai Bare
Kudzai Bare (Premier Soccer league spokesperson): The holidays for me are a time to feast and catch up with the family. Will be spending the day with my family.
Russell Mhiribidi (Sports Leaders Institute of Zimbabwe president): I will spend my Christmas day resting with my family and my sister who comes after me who has been away in Australia for a while. We will be at home, having a bit of braai and music to celebrate the busy and eventful year gone by. My work involves hosting a lot of people who attend our programmes so quality family time means a lot to my family.
Mxolisi Ndlovu (Zimbabwe Volleyball Association president): I will be spending the day with the family at home. Slaughter a goat and braai.
Winston Mhango (ZPC Kariba midfielder): I’m spending my Christmas with my family at my home town Hwange. It’s always good to be with your family on Christmas time celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
Thulani “Biya” Ncube: I’ll spend Christmas Day travelling back to the United States of America. -@ZililoR