Andrew
Deputy Sports Editor
FOLLOWING years of gradual decline in which the Davis Cup team is barely recognisable as the side that hogged the global limelight with a stunning win over Australia, Tennis Zimbabwe (TZ) have set about on an ambitious journey back to the top.
That audacious bid is anchored in a strategic plan being driven by their newly appointed general manager, Kupakwashe Mukurumbira.
Loosely translated into English, the international sports administrator’s surname means “popular” and his immediate task, which he shared with The Sunday Mail Sport, is to galvanise tennis and help it reach the dizzy heights of the late 1990s
Mukurumbira arrives at TZ having won plaudits for a fine job in boxing, which has lately been producing international winners.
However, he prefers to be viewed more as a sports leader than just an administrator.
“Yes, many people like to refer to me as a sports administrator, which is incorrect,” said the 36-year-old.
“I am not a sports administrator, but a global sports business leader and sports entrepreneur.
“I can repeat it for you if you want.
“I am a sports business leader and sports entrepreneur,” said Mukurumbira.
He has set for himself the ambitious task of rescuing tennis from sliding into obscurity and ensure glorious days for the sport, as witnessed during the era of the Black family – Byron, Wayne and Cara.
In fact, the Black family era, and the memories he has of that time, played a huge part in Mukurumbira’s decision to leave a lucrative job at the Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wresting Control Board and apply for the vacant TZ post.
“I believe I have a key role to play in the development and transformation of sport in Zimbabwe, and Africa as a whole, and so whenever I see an opportunity to do that, I do not hesitate.
“I moved from boxing because I saw a chance to transform tennis and Tennis Zimbabwe into a world-class organisation that can produce top-level international tennis stars.
“The sport has a special place in the heart of Zimbabweans, who fell in love with it in the nineties during the peak years of the Black family. “That is what I want to bring back, those glory days. I totally believe I did all I could for boxing during my short but eventful stint there,” he said.
Mukurumbira revealed the five key areas he hopes to concentrate on, which he refers to as the pillar system.
These are performance, partnerships, participation, platforms and professionalisation.
Under the performance pillar, the Safe Sport International board member hopes TZ will develop pathways for tennis players to grow from the grassroots right up to the elite level.
The aim is to produce world-class players, who will be able to win tournaments, and to enable the construction of high-performance centres.
Infrastructure development; investment in modern equipment; top-level coaching and clinics; the provision of scholarships; and hosting and participation in international tournaments are also high on his agenda.
Mukurumbira also believes partnerships will be key to the long-term success of the organisation.
He added that TZ would, in the coming months, forge different private and public partnerships with diverse organisations in leading tennis nations.
As part of the digital transformation of TZ, he hopes to spearhead the establishment and refurbishment of the organisation’s digital platforms such as the website, database and YouTube channels.
The goal here is to eventually monetise these platforms. This entails professionalisation of the sport. The focus will be on growing the business of tennis through the development of a revenue model that will enable the organisation to be financially stable and sustainable.
“Key drivers of this will be building the tennis brand to appeal to the corporate sector and attract partners and sponsors.
“All these, and many more, are expected to be part of Tennis Zimbabwe’s strategic plan, which was mulled over and discussed during a workshop last weekend.”
While the contents of the four-year plan are yet to be made public, Mukurumbira is expected to spearhead its implementation.
It is here that the global sports business leader hopes to use his years of experience and travels to good effect.
Mukurumbira is a former member of the Sports and Recreation Commission South Africa and was part of the FIFA 2010 World Cup legacy programme.
He is also an ex-sports development officer with the local Sports and Recreation Commission.
His main focus is training sports business leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals on how to monetise sports ideas.
Mukurumbira has trained over 600 leaders across sub-Saharan Africa and is an advisory board member for UNICEF UK Initiative on Safeguarding Children in Sport, as well as Safe Sport Africa, and a FIFA Guardian Independent Review Panel member.
Online Reporter