The Lowveld based hockey teams (Hippo and Huletts) showed a remarkable performance over the weekend when they outclassed the Bulawayo giants BAC and Kings Hockey clubs during the National hockey league games at Khumalo Hockey stadium in Bulawayo over the weekend of 21/22^nd of July 2012.

The defending champions, Hippo Hockey Club, had to put aside their agonising first defeat in three years that was inflicted by Enthusiasts, and began a fourth title chasing hunt with a 5-0 drubbing of Kings. The City of Kings was silenced in just 20mins with a well crocheted Hippo-manufactured passes which left the Kings' defence badly exposed and had no clue on how to prevent the goal. The opening goal proved to be the flood gates opener. The Hippo front line comprising of Anold Mpofu, Ranga Mungwiniri, Luckson Sikisa, Cydreck Starch, Edward Takavarasha and Paul Dakarai started to dictate the pace. Hippo could have banged in more goals if it wasn't for lack of precision in front of the goals.

Huletts hockey sprung a shocker when they managed to hold the Bulawayo champions BAC to a 3-3 draw later on the same date. It was Huletts's major achievement against BAC and it signalled a warning to all other teams that they are not push overs in the National league. A stunning performance from Huletts was through team work and cohesion within all departments. The tireless Trycos Mako engineered most of the moves and Joram Gonyora created two penalty flicks which helped the team to salvage an elusive draw.

Hippo Hockey maintained their dominance in Zimbabwean hockey with a spirited consistence performance during the inaugural Mantra sponsored hockey tournament played at Arundel Hockey stadium on the 14/15^th July. The tournament featured Mabvuku HC, Eradicators HC, Bindura HC, Mutare HC and the two Lowveld teams Hippo HC and Huletts HC. The event saw teams from around Zimbabwe that do not regularly play on Astroturf, competing in what is seen as the first of many development events to promote hockey in formerly disadvantaged communities.

Bindura HC this year put up a spirited performance to finish 4^th. This year Alistair Chando, a 1^st Year medical student-in-waiting, scooped the Most Promising Player award. One of the clubs junior development programme products, Alistair has shown great growth and is now one of their star players. He will no doubt feature in Provincial and National events in the near future. The award for the tournament's Most Outstanding goal keeper also went to Bindura, with Prosper Machuwe collecting the accolade.

Newly formed Huletts HC showed they are a real force to be reckoned with, winning 3 games and scoring 15 goals yet conceding 6 goals. Huletts HC is another team from the Tongaat Hulett Chiredzi based operation in the Lowveld; the team, alongside Hippo HC, is currently playing in the National league that features the top 6 sides in the country. The derby game Hippo against Huletts Hockey proved to be a thriller with no love lost between the 2 Tongaat teams. However experience won the day with Hippo overcoming their younger siblings 5–2. The team finished on 10 points joining Eradicators on 2^nd place with similar goal difference.

One little girl had a story to tell.

She is doing grade four at Chikombedzi primary school in rural Chiredzi.

Her story is about her struggle to get a decent education that will adequately mirror her inner sense of dignity yet her parents can barely manage their large family and with her sisters already married off, pressure may be on her to marry after sitting for her grade seven or ordinary level examinations.

As the socio-economic and political environment rapidly changes, she has held on to education as a principle that will never betray her, one which unfortunately, is difficult to achieve due to the challenges thrown onto her way by circumstances out of her control.

As she told the story at a recent career guidance day held at Alpha Mpapa High School at Chikombedzi growth point deep in south east Chiredzi, everyone else present did not hear it except this writer. The story is uniquely set in the Shangani community but it strikingly resembles that of many African children told on the 15^th of June which is the day of the African Child.

Connected with that story is a youth initiative called Gaza Trust that has taken up the promotion of the holistic cultural recognition and development of the marginalised peoples as its mandate. This group was the official co-ordinator of the career guidance day which was attended by thirty-one exhibitors and hundreds of school children.