HARARE - Former Premier Soccer League fixtures secretary, Chris Sambo, was humbled to win the award for commendable leadership at the 9th edition of the Auxillia Chimusoro Awards, held here last week. The awards, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrate organisations and individuals who have demonstrated commitment and courage in breaking the silence around the infection, reducing stigma and discrimination, caring for infected and affected people. Sambo who is now the Projects Director for Sports Trust of Positiveness, an organisation that manages sporting activities for people living with HIV.
I dedicate the award to the girls who have come forward to courageously fight the HIV/AIDS through playing football, he told The Zimbabwean. I have been driven by the desire to fight HIV/AIDS having lost some very key members of my family. Being an employee in the human resources sector, Im very aware of the stigma. It is prevalent in Zimbabwe and even in sport; it is through my leadership that I have seen many cases of stigmatization of football players by fellow players and their captains.
Sambo has managed to put together 320 registered players in Harare to compete in a football league that was formed in November, last year. Epworths ARV Swallows won the inaugural championship title as 16 teams competed for honours in a competition that has offered them the opportunity to interact, physically exercise and be open about their status to eradicate stigma.